Displaying ascii art at during Windows bootup

           (This is aimed users with some experience of ms-dos).

You  can  seriously  mess up your computer if you don't know what you're doing.
Anything you do is at your own risk.

If you're using Windows 95/98 you probably have noticed that when your computer
boots  there's a text mode screen before the Windows splash screen displays. It
is possible to display ascii art at this stage without much effort.

Simply select Start, Run, type sysedit, click OK. Just paste your  pictures  at
the  end  of  autoexec.bat and prefix each line with ECHO like my example below
between the dotted lines (not the dotted lines). Blank lines need the dot after
"ECHO"

Not  all characters are allowed as some have special meaning in ms-dos (in this
example I had to replace "|" with "I"). After the clear  screen  command  (cls)
you have 25 lines, 80 characters wide.

The  skulls  in this picture were originally created by Joan Stark. If you use
them anywhere you should add her initials "jgs."
...............................................................................
@ECHO OFF
@CLS
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO       T H I S   C O M P U T E R   I S   T H E   P R O P E R T Y   O F
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO               .------------------------------------------------.
ECHO            ___I__                                           ___I__
ECHO         .-"      "-.      _____              _     _     .-"      "-.
ECHO       .'            `.   I  __ \            (_)   I I  .'            `.
ECHO       I              I   I I  I I __ ___   ___  __I I  I              I
ECHO       I,  .-.  .-.  ,I   I I  I I/ _` \ \ / / I/ _` I  I,  .-.  .-.  ,I
ECHO       I )(__/  \__)( I   I I__I I (_I I\ V /I I (_I I  I )(__/  \__)( I
ECHO       I/     /\     \I __I_____/ \__,_I \_/ I_I\__,_I  I/     /\     \I
ECHO       (_     ^^     _)I  __ \    I I                   (_     ^^     _)
ECHO        \__IIIIIIII__/ I I__) I_ _I I_ __ ___   ___ _ __ \__IIIIIIII__/
ECHO         I \IIIIII/ I  I  ___/ _` I I '_ ` _ \ / _ \ '__I I \IIIIII/ I
ECHO          \         /  I I  I (_I I I I I I I I  __/ I    \          /
ECHO           '_______'   I_I   \__,_I_I_I I_I I_I\___I_I     '________'
ECHO               I                                                I
ECHO               I     .-----------------------------------.      I
ECHO               '-----I UNAUTHORISED ACCESS IS FORBIDDEN  I------'
ECHO                     '-----------------------------------'
................................................................................
If you want the picture to stay on the screen longer add the command PAUSE at
the end.

It  is  possible  to  disable the Windows splash screen altogether but I'll leave
that for another time...

                     and do you know what's really sad?

although you should be doing someting constructive with your life you are instead
wasting your time reading this inane drivel from the tWiSTeD mINd of

                   #####                       ______
                  #### _\_                    /_    _\
                  ##=-[.].]                  |/ \  / \|
                  #(    _\                   |\__\/__/|
                   #  \__|                    \      /
                    \___/                      \ __ /
                   .'   `.                     _\__/_
               /\____    /\____ _____ _____ /\___  /\____
              /o     \  /o     \o    |     \\___/ /o     \
             //       \//   |   \    |     /_____//       \
            //    >    \    _    \        /o     \     >   \
           /'          /    |     \      /        \        /
           \  ________/_____|_____/_____/_________/_____  /
            \|                                          |/
             :     dav...@666palmer.freeserve.co.uk      :
           http://www.666palmer.freeserve.co.uk/myascii.html

On Sat, 15 Apr 2000 14:37:27 +0100, "David Palmer"
<dav...@666palmer.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:

>           (This is aimed users with some experience of ms-dos).
>
>You  can  seriously  mess up your computer if you don't know what you're doing.
>Anything you do is at your own risk.
>
>If you're using Windows 95/98 you probably have noticed that when your computer
>boots  there's a text mode screen before the Windows splash screen displays. It
>is possible to display ascii art at this stage without much effort.
>
>Simply select Start, Run, type sysedit, click OK. Just paste your  pictures  at
>the  end  of  autoexec.bat and prefix each line with ECHO like my example below
>between the dotted lines (not the dotted lines). Blank lines need the dot after
>"ECHO"

Another possibility that allows almost all 256 characters, including
those that you can't use in the echo command (Like the | > < etc
characters, and all those extended ones like the single and double
borders) you can also make a text file with the art in it. Use the
EDIT command to make the file, name it something like BOOTUP.TXT and
instead of all the echo commands in your autoexec.bat file, just put
the command TYPE BOOTUP.TXT

--Wesley

The only stupid question is the unasked question.
And that's a good thing, because I hate stupid questions!

.----- On Sat, 15 Apr 2000 14:37:27 +0100, David Palmer posted:
|           (This is aimed users with some experience of ms-dos).
|
|You  can  seriously  mess up your computer if you don't know what you're doing.
|Anything you do is at your own risk.
|
|If you're using Windows 95/98 you probably have noticed that when your computer
|boots  there's a text mode screen before the Windows splash screen displays. It
|is possible to display ascii art at this stage without much effort.
|
|Simply select Start, Run, type sysedit, click OK. Just paste your  pictures  at
|the  end  of  autoexec.bat and prefix each line with ECHO like my example below
|between the dotted lines (not the dotted lines). Blank lines need the dot after
|"ECHO"
|
|Not  all characters are allowed as some have special meaning in ms-dos (in this
|example I had to replace "|" with "I"). After the clear  screen  command  (cls)
|you have 25 lines, 80 characters wide.
|
'-----------------------------------------------
To save replacing the characters, why not simply save the art to a text file
and then:
@echo off
cls
type c:\bootup.txt

Obviously, replacing that filename with where the file actually is. If you
have ANSI.SYS loaded, you could also start that file with ESC[2J to clear
the screen (where ESC is the ASCII Character 27), or embed some nice colour
codes ESC[?m where ? is a colour code. You can find more on ANSI.SYS in the
MS-DOS Help file, which can be found on a Windows95 CD in \OTHER\OLDMSDOS.

Or, you could use something like TheDraw to colour in the ASCII art and
write out an ANSI file for you... you could even do some ASCIImation this
way :)

Kind Regards,
-Martin
-- 
                  ______   ----.
                .'      '-'   (D'.
              -"""""--.-'         '-.           _______    
           .-'      -'  .'/         /  |\/| /\ |_)|  | |\ |  .-.
        .-'        '..-'.''.       =   |  |/--\| \| _|_| \| :...:
       /             '-'    '.___.'        ___ ___     __   :''':
      /                          \       /\ ||/ | |\ |(_     '-'
      |     ..             .      |     /--\||\_|_| \|__)  .-.
    _ |    /  '.          |       |                       :...:
   / '|   '     \         |      /            .-.         :''':
  (   \          |         '.   '            :...:         '-'
   \_/ '..       |          .'.  '           :''':  mart.atkins@--
          '    '' '''"\----'   \  \__         '-'   ---bigfoot.com
           '__________/  mga    '____\\

In article <38f...@news.apk.net>, Wesley Clifford
<par...@apk.net> writes
>On Sat, 15 Apr 2000 14:37:27 +0100, "David Palmer"
><dav...@666palmer.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>           (This is aimed users with some experience of ms-dos).
>>
>>You  can  seriously  mess up your computer if you don't know what you're doing.
>>Anything you do is at your own risk.
>>
>>If you're using Windows 95/98 you probably have noticed that when your computer
>>boots  there's a text mode screen before the Windows splash screen displays. It
>>is possible to display ascii art at this stage without much effort.
>>
>>Simply select Start, Run, type sysedit, click OK. Just paste your  pictures  at
>>the  end  of  autoexec.bat and prefix each line with ECHO like my example below
>>between the dotted lines (not the dotted lines). Blank lines need the dot after
>>"ECHO"
>
>Another possibility that allows almost all 256 characters, including
>those that you can't use in the echo command (Like the | > < etc
>characters, and all those extended ones like the single and double
>borders) you can also make a text file with the art in it. Use the
>EDIT command to make the file, name it something like BOOTUP.TXT and
>instead of all the echo commands in your autoexec.bat file, just put
>the command TYPE BOOTUP.TXT

Here's how to stop the start-up screen (the cloudy thing with Windows
written on it) from appearing:

1) If C:\LOGO.SYS exists, rename it to something (as a backup)
2) Open C:\LOGO.SYS in a text editor and type in a load of rubbish

I think this works, but I can't remember, so it might not -- if it
works, it's because Windows can't read LOGO.SYS as 320x400 256-color BMP
image, so it doesn't display it, leaving the text underneath visible.
-- 
Philip Taylor
philip @ zaynar . demon . co . uk
http://hangman.games.ultrastore.com - Hangman Online!

>Subject: Re: Displaying ascii art at during Windows bootup
>From: Jan-Erik Finnberg whe...@icenet.no.spam.please.fi 
>Date: 4/20/00 5:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time
>Message-id: <WST+OGqT9i=MwR...@4ax.com>
>
>On Tue, 18 Apr 2000 20:54:05 GMT, zne...@ovtsbbg.pbz (Martin
>Atkins) wrote:
>
>>Or, you could use something like TheDraw to colour in the ASCII art and
>>write out an ANSI file for you... you could even do some ASCIImation this
>>way :)
>
>Finally some use for Png2ansi! Why didn't I think of this before!

But remember, ANSI.SYS would have to be loaded for ANSI to be displayed on the
DOS screen, not many Windows 9.X computers are set with that to be loaded into
memory.

ObASCII:

&   <-- The Mr. Salty pretzel machines finally go haywire.
-- 
     .-~~-.
    (_^..^_)
      ||||AMC
*Tony's ASCII Zine*
http://www.zinezone.com/users/TonyCucchiara

*Shockwave.com Version 2.0*
http://v2.shockwave.com/

Unigni wrote:
[heavily edited]
> Here's how to stop the start-up screen (the cloudy thing with Windows
> written on it) from appearing:
>
> 1) If C:\LOGO.SYS exists, rename it to something (as a backup)
> 2) Open C:\LOGO.SYS in a text editor and type in a load of rubbish
>
> I think this works, but I can't remember, so it might not -- if it
> works, it's because Windows can't read LOGO.SYS as 320x400 256-color BMP
> image, so it doesn't display it, leaving the text underneath visible.
I've got a less romantic solution:
1) attrib -rhs c:\msdos.sys
2) use the text-editor you like to add a line saying "logo=0" (without the
quotes) under the "options" section of msdos.sys
3)attrib +rhs c:\msdos.sys

_Y_
 O    <- Now the woman's got arms and a head, but... :(

Unigni wrote:
[heavily edited]
> Here's how to stop the start-up screen (the cloudy thing with Windows
> written on it) from appearing:
>
> 1) If C:\LOGO.SYS exists, rename it to something (as a backup)
> 2) Open C:\LOGO.SYS in a text editor and type in a load of rubbish
>
> I think this works, but I can't remember, so it might not -- if it
> works, it's because Windows can't read LOGO.SYS as 320x400 256-color BMP
> image, so it doesn't display it, leaving the text underneath visible.
I've got a less romantic solution:
1) attrib -rhs c:\msdos.sys
2) use the text-editor you like to add a line saying "logo=0" (without the
quotes) under the "options" section of msdos.sys
3)attrib +rhs c:\msdos.sys

_Y_
 O    <- Now the woman's got arms and a head, but... :(

Unigni wrote:
[heavily edited]
> Here's how to stop the start-up screen (the cloudy thing with Windows
> written on it) from appearing:
>
> 1) If C:\LOGO.SYS exists, rename it to something (as a backup)
> 2) Open C:\LOGO.SYS in a text editor and type in a load of rubbish
>
> I think this works, but I can't remember, so it might not -- if it
> works, it's because Windows can't read LOGO.SYS as 320x400 256-color BMP
> image, so it doesn't display it, leaving the text underneath visible.
I've got a less romantic solution:
1) attrib -rhs c:\msdos.sys
2) use the text-editor you like to add a line saying "logo=0" (without the
quotes) under the "options" section of msdos.sys
3)attrib +rhs c:\msdos.sys

_Y_
 O    <- Now the woman's got arms and a head, but... :(

Unigni wrote:
[heavily edited]
> Here's how to stop the start-up screen (the cloudy thing with Windows
> written on it) from appearing:
>
> 1) If C:\LOGO.SYS exists, rename it to something (as a backup)
> 2) Open C:\LOGO.SYS in a text editor and type in a load of rubbish
>
> I think this works, but I can't remember, so it might not -- if it
> works, it's because Windows can't read LOGO.SYS as 320x400 256-color BMP
> image, so it doesn't display it, leaving the text underneath visible.
I've got a less romantic solution:
1) attrib -rhs c:\msdos.sys
2) use the text-editor you like to add a line saying "logo=0" (without the
quotes) under the "options" section of msdos.sys
3)attrib +rhs c:\msdos.sys

_Y_
 O    <- Now the woman's got arms and a head, but... :(

Whoop sory for that one, my newsserver said I had failed to sent the
message. I'll be more careful next time !

On 20 Apr 2000 21:36:39 GMT, ton...@aol.com.net.org (Anita Doobie - NOW)
provoked the following text:

>>>Or, you could use something like TheDraw to colour in the ASCII art and
>>>write out an ANSI file for you... you could even do some ASCIImation this
>>>way :)
>>Finally some use for Png2ansi! Why didn't I think of this before!
>But remember, ANSI.SYS would have to be loaded for ANSI to be displayed on the
>DOS screen, not many Windows 9.X computers are set with that to be loaded into
>memory.

An addition for those who don't know how to get ANSI loaded:

Go to "Start => Run" and type "Sysedit", in the window with the name
"Config.sys" in the titlebar you type:

DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\ANSI.SYS

Make sure you insert that line _after_ the line
"device=c:\windows\command\emm386" or you'll get an errormessage during boot.
--
        Peter Punk
          \    /
        ---\\\\---
          /    \

Visit my MIDI-site at http://members.xoom.com/miditation

It's lucky you're going so slowly, because you're going in the wrong direction.

On Wed, 19 Apr 2000 19:41:03 +0100, Unigni <uni...@zaynar.demon.co.uk> provoked
the following text:

>>Another possibility that allows almost all 256 characters, including
>>those that you can't use in the echo command (Like the | > < etc
>>characters, and all those extended ones like the single and double
>>borders) you can also make a text file with the art in it. Use the
>>EDIT command to make the file, name it something like BOOTUP.TXT and
>>instead of all the echo commands in your autoexec.bat file, just put
>>the command TYPE BOOTUP.TXT
>Here's how to stop the start-up screen (the cloudy thing with Windows
>written on it) from appearing:
>1) If C:\LOGO.SYS exists, rename it to something (as a backup)
>2) Open C:\LOGO.SYS in a text editor and type in a load of rubbish

The best, easiest, non-destructive way to prevent the bootlogo to come up during
boot time is to edit MSDOS.SYS (it's in C:\) with notepad, scroll all the way to
the bottom of the page and add the line:

Logo=0

This works for both Win95 as for Win98.

Can't find MSDOS.SYS? Go to "Start => Run" and type "attrib msdos.sys -r -h -s",
no look again in C:\ and there's MSDOS.SYS. (depending on your settings, you may
see MSDOS instead of MSDOS.SYS).
--
        Peter Punk
          \    /
        ---\\\\---
          /    \

Visit my MIDI-site at http://members.xoom.com/miditation

The Heineken Uncertainty Principle: You can never be sure how many beers you had last night.

On Tue, 18 Apr 2000 20:54:05 GMT, zne...@ovtsbbg.pbz (Martin
Atkins) wrote:

>Or, you could use something like TheDraw to colour in the ASCII art and
>write out an ANSI file for you... you could even do some ASCIImation this
>way :)

Finally some use for Png2ansi! Why didn't I think of this before!

-- 
Jan-Erik Finnberg    whe...@icenet.no.spam.please.fi     ICQ:49316651
http://www.saunalahti.fi/~wheany/FFVII/ FF7 midis and not much more!!
http://www.saunalahti.fi/~wheany/nethack/ Nethack 3.3.0 download
"Life is like a metaphor"

>Subject: Re: Displaying ascii art at during Windows bootup
>From: ton...@aol.com.net.org  (Anita Doobie - NOW)
>Date: 4/20/00 5:36 PM Eastern Daylight Time
>Message-id: <200...@ng-fx1.aol.com>
>
>>Subject: Re: Displaying ascii art at during Windows bootup
>>From: Jan-Erik Finnberg whe...@icenet.no.spam.please.fi 
>>Date: 4/20/00 5:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time
>>Message-id: <WST+OGqT9i=MwR...@4ax.com>
>>
>>On Tue, 18 Apr 2000 20:54:05 GMT, zne...@ovtsbbg.pbz (Martin
>>Atkins) wrote:
>>
>>>Or, you could use something like TheDraw to colour in the ASCII art and
>>>write out an ANSI file for you... you could even do some ASCIImation this
>>>way :)
>>
>>Finally some use for Png2ansi! Why didn't I think of this before!
>
>But remember, ANSI.SYS would have to be loaded for ANSI to be displayed on
>the
>DOS screen, not many Windows 9.X computers are set with that to be loaded
>into
>memory.

     Oh, and for the ASCII screen to be dislayed well, you could always have
the ASCII in a text file and put this into your autoexec:

type ASCII.TXT
pause

then it'll be on the screen as long as you like. Or use WAIT for a specific
time interval.

ObASCII:

Y    <-- a woman without arms standing on her head.
-- 
     .-~~-.
    (_^..^_)
      ||||AMC
*Tony's ASCII Zine*
http://www.zinezone.com/users/TonyCucchiara

*Shockwave.com Version 2.0*
http://v2.shockwave.com/

On 20 Apr 2000 21:36:39 GMT, ton...@aol.com.net.org (Anita Doobie -
NOW) wrote:
>>Finally some use for Png2ansi! Why didn't I think of this before!

>But remember, ANSI.SYS would have to be loaded for ANSI to be displayed on the
>DOS screen, not many Windows 9.X computers are set with that to be loaded into
>memory.

I don't want to sound rude, but I'm the author of Png2Ansi. I know that.

Right now I'm downloading software to convert some of my movietrailers
to single images to png to ansi-animation.

Yes, as a matter of fact, it IS geeky. 

-- 
Jan-Erik Finnberg    whe...@icenet.no.spam.please.fi     ICQ:49316651
http://www.saunalahti.fi/~wheany/FFVII/ FF7 midis and not much more!!
http://www.saunalahti.fi/~wheany/nethack/ Nethack 3.3.0 download
"Sometimes a metaphor is just a metaphor"

On Tue, 25 Apr 2000 03:10:01 GMT, "Ryan S." <hou...@crosswinds.net> provoked
the following text:

>on my win 98 i made a "custom" logo.sys but the startup splashscreen ISN'T logo.sys. how do i
>change my comp to display logo.sys as the startup splash or where can i find the startup splash
>screen so i can edit it? i remember doing this in win 95 but i think i forgot/bill gates is a
>homo and changed it.
>
>the one i made is cool. i replaced the windows logo with bob marley's head!!! i used the ol'
>rubber stamp on logow.sys

Open the file MSDOS.SYS with notepad and change the line Logo=1 to Logo=0.
Note that MSDOS.SYS usually is read-only, hidden and a system file so you need
to go to the dosprompt and type:

cd \
attrib msdos.sys -r -h -s

before you can edit the file.
--
        Peter Punk
          \    /
        ---\\\\---
          /    \

Visit my MIDI-site at http://members.xoom.com/miditation

Wanted. Widower with school-age children requires person to assume general housekeeping duties. Must be capable of contributing to growth of family.

on my win 98 i made a "custom" logo.sys but the startup splashscreen ISN'T logo.sys. how do i
change my comp to display logo.sys as the startup splash or where can i find the startup splash
screen so i can edit it? i remember doing this in win 95 but i think i forgot/bill gates is a
homo and changed it.

the one i made is cool. i replaced the windows logo with bob marley's head!!! i used the ol'
rubber stamp on logow.sys
--
      O     CH3  _           __
H2C   |     /   |_)   _.._  (_
  \ /   \ /N\   | \\/(_|| | __)o
   N     |   |     /
    \_N_/ \N/   Email: hou...@crosswinds.net
   /  |         URL: http://home.att.net/~bearbait
  O  CH3        Hotline Nick: Fishee

On 20 Apr 2000 21:36:39 GMT, Anita Doobie posted:
>
>But remember, ANSI.SYS would have to be loaded for ANSI to be displayed on the
>DOS screen, not many Windows 9.X computers are set with that to be loaded into
>memory.
>

Well, my original post did say that but it was snipped when being replied to
:)

Kind Regards,
-Martin
|\/| _..__|_o._   /\_|_| o._  _   mart.atkins@--
|  |(_||  |_|| | /--\|_|<|| |_>            --bigfoot.com