Windows is a highly customizable operating system, and yes—you can even change the boot screen logo! If you’re tired of seeing the default Windows logo every time your PC starts up, there’s a cool tool called HackBGRT that lets you swap it out for a custom image. Here’s everything you need to know.
Before You Use HackBGRT…
Before using HackBGRT, there are a few things you need to check and prepare:
1. Check If Your System Uses UEFI
The first step is to confirm that your computer is using UEFI mode, as HackBGRT won’t function on systems with Legacy BIOS. Here’s how to check:
– Press Win + R, and then type msinfo32 in the Run dialog box. Click OK.
– In the System Information window, look for BIOS Mode on the right panel.
- If it says UEFI, you’re good to go!
- If it says Legacy, unfortunately, HackBGRT won’t work on your system.
2. Disable Secure Boot
Next, you’ll need to disable Secure Boot to allow HackBGRT to modify the boot screen logo. You can verify whether Secure Boot is enabled in the System Information window.
3. Prepare Your Custom Boot Logo Image
After that, prepare the custom image you want to use as your new boot logo. Make sure it meets the following requirements:
- Dimensions: 200×200 or 300×300 pixels
- Format: 24-bit Bitmap (.BMP)
- Filename: Must be named splash.bmp
Tip: You can use MS Paint to resize and save your image correctly.
4. Create a Backup (Highly Recommended)
Since HackBGRT modifies your system’s UEFI settings, it’s strongly recommended to back up your system first in case something goes wrong.
Check out our guides:
- How to Create a Recovery Drive and System Repair Disc in Windows 10
- How to Create a Full Backup in Windows 11
How to Change the Windows Boot Screen Logo Using HackBGRT
Once you’ve completed the prerequisites, using HackBGRT to customize your boot screen logo is a simple process. Just follow the steps below:
1. Go to the HackBGRT GitHub page, download HackBGRT-2.5.1.zip.
2. Extract the ZIP file to a folder on your Windows PC.
3. Inside the extracted folder, double-click setup.exe to run the tool.
4. When prompted by User Account Control (UAC), click Yes to allow changes.
5. A Command Prompt window will open. Press I on your keyboard to begin installation.
6. Notepad will automatically open, displaying HackBGRT’s configuration file. You can close this window—you don’t need to edit anything here.
Now that HackBGRT is set up, it’s time to add your custom boot logo.
1. After closing the Notepad window, MS Paint will automatically launch. If it doesn’t, look for it on the Taskbar and open it manually.
2. In Paint, go to File > Open, then click This PC from the sidebar.
3. You’ll notice a hidden system partition (e.g., SYSTEM (A:)) that normally doesn’t appear in File Explorer. This is where the boot logo is stored.
4. Navigate to: SYSTEM (A:) > EFI > HackBGRT
5. Inside this folder, you’ll find an image named splash.bmp—this is the current boot logo (usually the default HackBGRT logo).
6. Copy your own prepared image (must be named splash.bmp, 24-bit BMP, and 200×200 or 300×300 pixels) and paste it into this folder.
7. When prompted, click Replace the file in the destination to overwrite the default logo with yours.
8. Close all open windows, including Paint. Return to the HackBGRT Command Prompt window. You’ll see the message: “HackBGRT is now installed.”
9. Press any key to exit the tool.
That’s it! The next time you reboot your computer, you’ll see your custom logo instead of the default Windows one during startup.
How to Restore the Default Windows Boot Screen Logo
If you ever want to switch back to the original Windows boot logo, it’s easy to undo the changes. Just follow these steps:
1. Launch HackBGRT by running the setup.exe file from the tool’s folder.
2. When the Command Prompt window opens, press D on your keyboard. You’ll see a message confirming that the default Windows logo has been restored.
3. Press any key to exit HackBGRT.
When you restart your computer, the original Windows boot screen logo will appear again.
Easily Customize the Windows Boot Screen Logo
If you’re bored of seeing the same old Windows logo during startup, why not switch it up with something more personal? With HackBGRT, customizing your boot screen is simple and straightforward. It’s a lightweight tool that adds a creative touch to your system—just one more way to make Windows truly yours.
