I bought the windows xp 2004 sp2 and didn't use the second cd at all . I found some windows themes , boot screens along with the key from the second cd . I want to edit the boot.ini file from system32 but it's not there . I can only see a boot.cfg file for editing my boot screens . I am also having disgusting problems about the default blue screen of windows xp . It keeps changing but even if I set the theme as windows classics , I see a picture with a red background as a picture with a horribly bluish background .

boot.ini is generally located in C:\ A lot of times, it's set read-only, so you'll also have to remove that attribute from the file in order to edit it and save changes.

Also hidden. You will need to enable view hidden and system files in the Folder options in order to see it.

If neither of the above work, make a copy of your edited boot file and save it somewhere you will remember. Restart the computer in safe mode and then replace the original boot.ini file. However the above mentioned fixes should work fine. Booting in safe mode is a good way to replace changed system files such as ntoskrnl.

ok i enabled the hidden file option and found these related to boot.ini in system 32 but no boot.ini file :

bootcfg , bootok , bootvid.dll , bootvrfy . I have got the images and their programs along with them in yellow folders on the xpsp2 cd . But the problem is that I don't know how to edit the boot.ini file to change or get options of how to boot xp and get different logon screens .

It's not in system32-- it's located in the root of C:\ like I said before!

it should be C:\boot.ini

If you can't manually find it ( it should be in C:\boot.ini previously mentioned) then just go to start and then run, and type C:\boot.ini and it should open with notepad you can edit it from there.

Be careful editing system files, and have fun!

that works