Small, personal preference issue with Win10 startup... Can I change it?

[Fuzzball]

I recently got a new gaming laptop from PCS and have come across a small, personal preference issue.

Windows 10 is the pre-installed OS and whenever I turn on the laptop, instead of a Windows logo appearing onscreen as the OS boots up, a PC Specialist logo sits on the screen. I just asked their technical support if this is something that can be changed back to the Windows default, maybe by doing a clean re-install of Win10 (which I was thinking of doing), and they said that I couldn't change that because it was "in the BIOS".

Apparently it's harder than before to enter the BIOS in Win10, but an Internet search indicates it is possible. Is this start-up logo something I could change in the settings there? Or is that just a terrible idea?

Also, the default Windows 10 Harmony wallpaper on my laptop is replaced with a PC Specialist wallpaper. When I look at the Theme options and background pictures available, this PCS wallpaper is called "Harmony" and the standard Win10 one is missing. I've found where these default wallpapers are stored and wondered if I replace the PCS file in there with the regular Win10 wallpaper (with the same file name), will that show up on the options available to me in Themes? Or will it mess up how they all preview, and then I can't change it?

Also, even though I have "Windows startup sound" ticked, it doesn't play when I turn on the computer. Only when I restart it. Anyone else find this?

I realise these are silly, trivial issues, but when I make a big purchase on a new computer, it's nice to be able to have it work my way as much as possible. PCS area good hardware provider, and I imagine their computers have less bloatware than most, but I'm not keen on how they seem to be trying to stamp their mark on everything...

 

[Oussebon]

PCS computers shouldn't have any bloatware on them afaik

Not sure about the logo. I get the Asus one because I have an Asus mobo, people with Dells usually get the Dell one, I think it just shows the logo as per the OEM.

On the Asus Uefi bios for my H81i-plus mobo there's an option to disable the boot logo. I get a big red American megatrends logo instead. Perhaps there's something similar in the laptop bios?

 

[oodles2do]

PCS computers shouldn't have any bloatware on them afaik

Not sure about the logo. I get the Asus one because I have an Asus mobo, people with Dells usually get the Dell one, I think it just shows the logo as per the OEM.

On the Asus Uefi bios for my H81i-plus mobo there's an option to disable the boot logo. I get a big red American megatrends logo instead. Perhaps there's something similar in the laptop bios?

I have an Asus mobo too, but I also get the PCS logo. Luckily my PC boots so quickly it doesn't really matter!

 

[Fuzzball]

Not sure about the logo. I get the Asus one because I have an Asus mobo, people with Dells usually get the Dell one, I think it just shows the logo as per the OEM.

On the Asus Uefi bios for my H81i-plus mobo there's an option to disable the boot logo. I get a big red American megatrends logo instead. Perhaps there's something similar in the laptop bios?

Yeah, what I'm thinking is hoping for instead of the PCS logo, having some sort of Windows logo as the computer boots up. Like how Windows 7 had those four blobs of light come together to form the logo. I don't know what the Windows 10 boot logo looks like, but I guess it would be the modern Windows symbol (which is replaced by PCS on my screen) above the little loading circle.

 

[Oussebon]

I think with Windows 10 it's really intended to be the OEM logo instead of the Windows logo. So as a custom build from 2012 based on an Asus mobo, mine says Asus. If it was native with Win 10, it might say PCS. If your laptop wasn't made by PC Specialist it would probably say Clevo or something. I've no idea why Windows 10 was designed in this way - perhaps people complain that Windows takes a long time to load, so while Windows loads Microsoft made it display someone else's logo to pretend it's still on the post screen. Who knows...

There are some hacks, but it sounds majorly not worth the effort or risk.

This thread seems to explain the two phases of the boot logo quite well - how one is stuck with the logo on the first phase and how there are some unorthodox workarounds to the second phase.
It also explains these workarounds, though emphasises that they are strictly at end users' risk.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...d-login-page-background.779725/#post-10063233

To quote it:

2nd Stage: O/S Secure Boot Loader - this image is either "blue Windows logo" with a spinning circle (non-secure boot UEFI, or legacy BIOS boot) or the "OEM logo" with a spinning circle (secure boot UEFI).

So one would apparently need to use non-secure boot or legacy bios boot to get the Windows logo, or fiddle with the bootres.dll, which probably isn't advisable.

My point is I think it's Windows' fault you don't get the Windows logo.

Obviously that doesn't explain the wallpaper, I guess that's a conscious choice on their part

 

[ubuysa]

Windows 10 is the pre-installed OS and whenever I turn on the laptop, instead of a Windows logo appearing onscreen as the OS boots up, a PC Specialist logo sits on the screen. I just asked their technical support if this is something that can be changed back to the Windows default, maybe by doing a clean re-install of Win10 (which I was thinking of doing), and they said that I couldn't change that because it was "in the BIOS".

All vendors do this. AFAIK that logo is part of the boot manager not Windows. I believe it can be modified but it's a tricky process and not worth the time or the risk given how long that logo is displayed.

Apparently it's harder than before to enter the BIOS in Win10, but an Internet search indicates it is possible. Is this start-up logo something I could change in the settings there? Or is that just a terrible idea?

No. If you're using legacy boot the logon is part of the BIOS code (fetched from the MBR) and it's not something you can configure via the BIOS setup, you'd have to hack the MBR code. With the greatest of respect, it is a terrible idea.

Also, the default Windows 10 Harmony wallpaper on my laptop is replaced with a PC Specialist wallpaper. When I look at the Theme options and background pictures available, this PCS wallpaper is called "Harmony" and the standard Win10 one is missing. I've found where these default wallpapers are stored and wondered if I replace the PCS file in there with the regular Win10 wallpaper (with the same file name), will that show up on the options available to me in Themes? Or will it mess up how they all preview, and then I can't change it?

The desktop wallpapers are stored in C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper, you can copy the original Harmony wallpaper in there if you like and then set it as the desktop wallpaper. it will do no harm at all (actually you can copy any suitable image in there and use it as your desktop wallpaper). I'd be tempted to give it a sightly different name so you retain the original wallpaper - just in cases.

Also, even though I have "Windows startup sound" ticked, it doesn't play when I turn on the computer. Only when I restart it. Anyone else find this?

That's worth calling PCS about, I've not come across that. It sounds more like a Windows 10 issue than anything else though. If it plays on restart there's nothing wrong with your hardware. It might be that the audio driver is not loaded by the time Windows plays the sound on a cold boot?

I realise these are silly, trivial issues, but when I make a big purchase on a new computer, it's nice to be able to have it work my way as much as possible. PCS area good hardware provider, and I imagine their computers have less bloatware than most, but I'm not keen on how they seem to be trying to stamp their mark on everything...

PCS install no bloatware, all manufacturers 'stamp their mark on everything' but in this case it's really only the boot splash screen that you have to suffer. That's not too much is it?

 

[Fuzzball]

I think with Windows 10 it's really intended to be the OEM logo instead of the Windows logo.

Maybe so, although I did see at work yesterday my boss starting up his computer, and that just used an ordinary blue Windows 10 logo. I think that was a basic DELL desktop though, and I very much doubt it originally came with Windows 10, instead being upgraded to it.

So one would apparently need to use non-secure boot or legacy bios boot to get the Windows logo, or fiddle with the bootres.dll, which probably isn't advisable.

Hmm, well I guess I might try starting the computer and looking at the BIOS out of curiosity, but I probably won't change anything I'm not certain on. No doubt that would be stupid. Guess I'll have to learn to live with it.

Thanks for all the responses!

 

[deanparkr]

I have a feeling if you drop PCS an email they'll provide you with the details on how to change it.

 

[Oussebon]

Hmm, well I guess I might try starting the computer and looking at the BIOS out of curiosity, but I probably won't change anything I'm not certain on. No doubt that would be stupid

I have a computer that I'm not too bothered about so a couple of days ago I tried fiddling with that FOR SCIENCE. Couldn't see the relevant option that various guides told me should be in my Asus BIOS. So I changed what looked like the next best thing.

PC then refused to load Windows, just opened the BIOS, in which the keyboard and mouse were disabled, so I couldn't undo the setting I'd changed.

Therefore, I broadly agree with your conclusion

 

[Fuzzball]

Well, in the end, I've found it's best not to try and change these things at all. I haven't looked at the BIOS at all yet, because it turned out changing the basic PCS wallpaper to the Windows 10 Harmony one was issue enough.

I was having a technical issue with the laptop and one thing recommended online was to do a system scan to see if there were any missing Windows files. I did this, and when the computer restarted it had replaced the PCS wallpaper that the laptop had seen as the default Windows 10 wallpaper with the Harmony file. Sounds good, but when looking at my available themes, it still showed the PCS Wallpaper in the "Windows" theme preview image, even though when clicked it threw up the Harmony image.

So I did a system restore and that changed everything back. I'm thinking it's not worth the weird hassle trying to tweak these things, and I'll just have to learn to live with how Windows 10 likes to have manufacturer logos on things.