Windows 7 695x boot screen revealed

Windows 7 695x boot screen revealed

Tom Warren on 04 December 2008 - 07:39, updated 04 December 2008 - 08:20 · 67 comments & 30397 views

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Chris Holmes, Windows Enthusiast and blogger, has posted a short and somewhat blurry video of the new Windows 7 boot screen in action.

The latest sign of changes for Windows 7 signals a departure from the Vista boot up screen. Microsoft kept the boot screen simple with Vista after asking BIOS makers, PC makers, and video card makers to remove product advertisement screens at system boot. Microsoft created a simple boot method which it claimed took 6 seconds off initial boot compared to the more graphical boot that it had originally planned with the Longhorn betas.

At PDC many reader comments here at Neowin were "what's the new boot screen like?" when Microsoft first unveiled Windows 7 to the world. We posted a video at the time but Microsoft have been working hard towards their January goal and have updated it as shown below.

Update: Microsoft have pulled the MSN Video so we have linked to an identical YouTube video

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#1 +dead.cell on 04 Dec 2008 - 07:44

Neat I guess.

#2 PKP on 04 Dec 2008 - 07:52

I like it

#3 Revolution. on 04 Dec 2008 - 08:07

nice!

#4 badblood on 04 Dec 2008 - 08:18

Actually very pretty. A lot nicer than the nothing that comes with Vista. Although the static 2nd boot screen Vista has is okay, and what I have enabled.
But 7's is great!

#5 heslo on 04 Dec 2008 - 08:20

Very cool!

(1 reply) #6 rpgfan on 04 Dec 2008 - 08:21

Much better than Vista's in terms of eye candy! ^_^

#6.1 epple on 04 Dec 2008 - 12:48

Indeed, reminds me a little of the Zune synch animation before the dots transform into the Windows flag.

(1 reply) #7 AnthoWin on 04 Dec 2008 - 08:28

I just hope the logo stays well until the login screen or desktop appears. I hate how after the loading screen on Vista and probably in this video how the entire monitor flashes back to black stays that way until the actual welcome or login screens come out.

#7.1 Sacha on 04 Dec 2008 - 08:52

Actually, this doesn't happen to me. I don't remember this happening anyway.
Doesn't it go to a blue screen that says Loading bla blah... and has a little blue circle turning in the centre of the screen? I don't see any black when I start my computer.

(3 replies) #8 ]SK[ on 04 Dec 2008 - 08:38

Vista has to be the worst boot screen ever.

#8.1 Windows7even on 04 Dec 2008 - 08:45

SK[ said,]Vista has to be the worst boot screen ever.

you can fix that by enabling the no gui boot flag..still not animation...but much prettier..if thats what you like...you can even customize the screen you get with the no gui enabled with this utlilty
http://www.vistarewired.com/2008/09/30/how...-sp1-compatible

#8.2 Beastage on 04 Dec 2008 - 10:21

should note that the no gui boot prevents you to see any boot events like boot time chkdsk.

#8.3 ghos on 05 Dec 2008 - 00:02

Btw if you don't like the boot screen there is Bootskin Pro that comes with Object Desktop for Stardock that replaces it. Right now its a static image (don't know about plans to add animation) but still a nice change if you don't like the Vista default one.

(4 replies) #9 Windows7even on 04 Dec 2008 - 08:42

Looks good but instant on is the ultimate goal...problem is the sequence..to many things rely on loading at boot...decentralize some of the kernel dependencies and load just the core files..then you will have a fast boot...guess thats what they are moving toward with minwin...i think technologies like expressgate are moving in the right direction but need more refining

#9.1 XerXis on 04 Dec 2008 - 09:17

Windows7even said,

or use hibernation

#9.2 Windows7even on 04 Dec 2008 - 09:52

hibernation has way to many flaws...and its way to slow!

#9.3 Jugalator on 04 Dec 2008 - 11:02

Windows7even said,

hibernation has way to many flaws...and its way to slow!

What flaws? And it took about 2-3 secs for me to start up from that...

#9.4 2Cold Scorpio on 04 Dec 2008 - 14:57

Jugalator said,

What flaws? And it took about 2-3 secs for me to start up from that...

Indeed; I've been using hibernation for years; still prefer it over Vista's sleep mode because then I *know* the computer is off. I use sleep to substitute for when I'd use Stand-By in XP for the most part.

The only flaw I see in hibernation is that it does take up some hard drive space, but these days, that isn't a big deal. ^_^

(4 replies) #10 P1R4T3 on 04 Dec 2008 - 08:54

Does it mean windows will take 6secs more than vista to load explorer?

#10.1 +Brandon Live on 04 Dec 2008 - 09:05

Huh? Why would it mean that? It takes less time (no Vista pearl animation, much faster boot-up process with parallelized driver initialization, etc).

#10.2 P1R4T3 on 04 Dec 2008 - 13:48

I haven't got the chance to play with 7 yet. I thought Microsoft went for the simple boot screen so that Vista could load faster.

Its great to hear windows 7 is faster. Waiting eagerly to try it out when beta open up.

#10.3 excalpius on 04 Dec 2008 - 21:34

No, the animation has always played WHILE things are initializing in the background...

#10.4 rm20010 on 05 Dec 2008 - 05:44

Brandon Live said,

Huh? Why would it mean that? It takes less time (no Vista pearl animation, much faster boot-up process with parallelized driver initialization, etc).

So if the Pearl's gone, where does that leave the welcome sound?

(5 replies) #11 Soldiers33 on 04 Dec 2008 - 08:55

wow, very nice. but does it start off slow becuase of the machine, or is that how long the actual boot takes?

#11.1 creamhackered on 04 Dec 2008 - 09:05

Well it's just a laptop so I would guess it's slow because of the machine....

#11.2 +Brandon Live on 04 Dec 2008 - 09:05

The whole video is like 20 seconds (including the BIOS / POST stuff).

#11.3 Beastage on 04 Dec 2008 - 10:23

Is this Dell's netbook? the screen looks smaller than 12"

#11.4 brink668 on 05 Dec 2008 - 00:19

Beastage said,

Is this Dell's netbook? the screen looks smaller than 12"

This is not a Dell Netbook.

#11.5 rm20010 on 05 Dec 2008 - 05:41

Beastage said,

Is this Dell's netbook? the screen looks smaller than 12"

The laptop's BIOS screen reads MXC061 (not MXG061 as I wrote in the forums). The MXC061 is the Inspiron 640M.

#12 blu3f1sh on 04 Dec 2008 - 09:03

I'm wondering about the same thing. My Vista install is much quicker.

#13 gigapixels on 04 Dec 2008 - 09:42

Very nice.

#14 Skulltrail on 04 Dec 2008 - 10:35

Smexy BootSc

#15 TruckWEB on 04 Dec 2008 - 11:38

It's just a boot screen.... I don't really care. I prefer a ultra fast boot and not seeing the bootscreen!!!

(2 replies) #16 PsykX on 04 Dec 2008 - 12:18

Which resolution is that? 320x240 I hope? XD

#16.1 neufuse on 04 Dec 2008 - 12:46

PsykX said,

Which resolution is that? 320x240 I hope? XD

You hope? this isn't windows 95... XP and up has had higher resolution boot screens then 320x240

#16.2 PsykX on 05 Dec 2008 - 04:24

Lol I was jk...
But seriously, I hope it's using the same resolution for your desktop... Honestly, switching resolution between a boot screen and the desktop would mean to me : don't care about the boot screen, it's useless to waste money to make a good one. If it's the same resolution : go for it, go for animations and stuff

(4 replies) #17 +Si_ on 04 Dec 2008 - 12:42

I reluctantly had a look at the new Macbook at the weekend, and was amazed to see the thing powered on and was at a usable desktop in about 5 seconds flat. Microsoft should take note.

#17.1 neufuse on 04 Dec 2008 - 12:49

Si_ said,

I reluctantly had a look at the new Macbook at the weekend, and was amazed to see the thing powered on and was at a usable desktop in about 5 seconds flat. Microsoft should take note.

Never had a mac start that fast for me... from low power state yes, but fresh cold boot... ha...

#17.2 +Si_ on 04 Dec 2008 - 12:56

neufuse said,

Never had a mac start that fast for me... from low power state yes, but fresh cold boot... ha...

Nah this was from cold boot. I was really expecting to hate the thing but right off the bat it booted in about 5 seconds, maybe a little more, but faster than *any* windows box i've used...

#17.3 Scirwode on 04 Dec 2008 - 13:30

Si_ said,

Nah this was from cold boot. I was really expecting to hate the thing but right off the bat it booted in about 5 seconds, maybe a little more, but faster than *any* windows box i've used...

My Mac Pro takes longer to boot than 5 seconds, and considering it has a Xeon Quad Core processor and 2GB of RAM, I don't believe you. It does boot faster than Windows, but 5 seconds is impossible even if there is nothing much on the machine itself.

Scirwode

#17.4 +Mercellus on 04 Dec 2008 - 16:08

neufuse said,

Never had a mac start that fast for me... from low power state yes, but fresh cold boot... ha...

My MacBook Pro boots in about 7 seconds from cold boot, it's pretty fast.

#18 digitalsoft on 04 Dec 2008 - 13:28

Not bad.

#19 DJ Prem on 04 Dec 2008 - 13:33

Nice

#20 2Cold Scorpio on 04 Dec 2008 - 14:57

I really like it. A nice animation, and no more progress bar that doesn't actually show progress.

#21 XeonBuilder on 04 Dec 2008 - 16:03

Wanna excite me.... GET A NEW BSOD!!!!

#22 +statm1 on 04 Dec 2008 - 16:08

I hope someone comes out with a less blurry version. Otherwise, yes Im very glad that there is finally a decent Bootscreen. The Pearl animation in Vista was cool though.

(1 reply) #23 SimNet on 04 Dec 2008 - 16:09

what's the last image it makes after those little colorful orbs merge?

Is it like some zoomed in/out blurry windows logo?

#23.1 GP007 on 04 Dec 2008 - 17:03

It should be the Windows Orb.

#24 s0nic69 on 04 Dec 2008 - 16:14

idk... its not a microsoft boot screen w/o the loading bar....

#25 Avi on 04 Dec 2008 - 16:27

I like it!

(1 reply) #26 Sawyer12 on 04 Dec 2008 - 16:49

Its only a bloody boot screen, Its kind of boring really.

#26.1 GP007 on 04 Dec 2008 - 17:04

Sure, it is just a boot screen but it shows a few key changes to the process itself imo.

(1 reply) #27 +TCLN Ryster on 04 Dec 2008 - 17:52

It's saying the video cannot be found, has anyone got a link to one hosted elsewhere?

#27.1 +Lexcyn on 04 Dec 2008 - 19:11

TCLN Ryster said,

It's saying the video cannot be found, has anyone got a link to one hosted elsewhere?

Try http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbJ6sEGTt5I

#28 Paulz0r on 04 Dec 2008 - 18:12

There are some on YouTube. MS had the video pulled.
No worries though, I'll tell Chris to upload the video to GeekSmack.

#29 brent3000 on 04 Dec 2008 - 20:57

these ones still work

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=j7oDvY1-XeY

#30 ThePitt on 04 Dec 2008 - 21:03

after the boot should say "welcome to xbox OS"

#31 +Chris123NT on 04 Dec 2008 - 22:17

Wow, I can't believe they pulled this. They demoed it in china for crying out loud.

Oh well, hope Sinofsky don't knock on my door LOL

#32 micro on 04 Dec 2008 - 22:51

Sweet, lol..

#33 EGM92 on 05 Dec 2008 - 01:47

What build are they giving out at WinHEC China? The boot screen looks great, a lot better than Vista's nothing but black bar screen, or their still image of the No GUI trick

#34 PatrynXX on 05 Dec 2008 - 09:00

Great now the boot screen looks like I removed my glasses and totally plastered looking at the Vista boot screen. o_O Boot screens mean little to me. The Vista one was simple nothing fancy. Didn't kill the memory... This new one is simply eye candy. For those hooked on Aero thats okay. At least my laptop runs Aero just fine. But it's eye candy and doesn't add functionality to it.

(1 reply) #35 jamesyfx on 05 Dec 2008 - 13:29

While it is a good animation, I just hope the actual system boot process is made more professional, and not just the windows startup.

I'd love the day where you just press the power button and the Windows boot screen will immediately appear onscreen Windows will boot. None of that BIOS information nonsense.

OS X can do it. Probably because it just shows a blank grey screen and then the mac boot screen is also a grey screen with an apple on it. So it's all seamless. No blinking underscore or motherboard details to be found. :p

#35.1 Protocol Eight on 05 Dec 2008 - 17:32

Seamless is the key word here. I wish manufacturers would cut out the ugly logos before the boot Windows boot screen. As if somehow I suddenly forgot I owned a Dell or Shuttle PC or something. Believe it or not it's little things like this that help personify the Windows experience - especially for first time users.

#36 +ispamforfood on 06 Dec 2008 - 03:09

Well, its a damn sight better than Vista's default bootscreen, thats for sure. *shakes head* what were they THINKING??

#37 TC17 on 06 Dec 2008 - 06:15

I find it sad that so many here are making a news article out of a BOOT SCREEN. Jeez.

Vista has the same thing, its nothing new.

Maybe I'll make a video of a blinking cursor, so people can all ooh and ahhh over it and make it front page news.

#38 WesParmalee on 07 Dec 2008 - 18:18

If this is it, Micro$oft did an excellent job

#39 seebaran on 08 Dec 2008 - 04:32

Ooo, hipster-ish almost. Nice job, MS. Now if only IE8 could be sexy, too...

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