How to Prevent Welcome to Windows NT Screen During Setup

• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0

SUMMARY

When you perform unattended installations using the Unattend.txt file, it is possible to remove the Welcome To Windows NT splash screen that appears after the initial installation, and after each new user logs on to the computer. You can also use this procedure with attended installations. This is useful if an administrator wants to prevent users from seeing this splash screen.

MORE INFORMATION

To remove the Welcome To Windows NT splash screen, use one of the following methods:

Method 1

1. Copy all the Windows NT system files needed (usually the I386 directory and all its subdirectories) from the Windows NT compact disc to the distribution server, which is a network share devoted to network client setup.

2. Create the Unattend.txt file with any parameters that you feel are necessary. In this method, there are no special entries that need to be made in the Unattend.txt file to remove the splash screen.

   For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

         ARTICLE-ID: Q155197
         TITLE     : Unattended Setup Parameters for Unattend.txt File
   
   

3. In the I386 directory (or the directory for the platform you are installing that you copied to the distribution server), change the name of the Welcome.ex_ file to Welcome.bak.

4. Back up the Txtsetup.sif file in the I386 directory to another file name, such as Txtsetup.bak.

5. Open the Txtsetup.sif file in Notepad. Use the Find command and search for the word "Welcome." There should be only one entry, and it should appear as the following:

         welcome.exe  = 1,,,,,,,1,0,0
   

6. Place a semicolon in front of this line. It should now look like:

         ;welcome.exe  = 1,,,,,,,1,0,0
   

7. Save the Txtsetup.sif file back to the distribution share.

8. Back up the Dosnet.inf file in the I386 directory to another file name, such as Dosnet.bak.

9. Open the Dosnet.inf file in Notepad. Use the Find command and search for the word "Welcome." There should be only one entry, and it should appear as the following:

         d1,welcome.exe
   

10. Place a semicolon in front of this line. It should now look like:

          ;d1,welcome.exe
    

11. Save the Dosnet.inf file back to the distribution share and quit Notepad.

12. Run the setup routine for Microsoft Windows NT. The first time the administrator or any user logs on, the Welcome to Windows NT screen will no longer be presented.

    NOTE: The functionality of the Welcome to Windows NT splash screen can be enabled again. Copy the expanded Welcome.exe file to the %Systemroot%, log off, and then log back on. There is a registry entry that controls the operation of this executable file.

Method 2

1. Copy all the Windows NT system files needed, usually the I386 directory and all its subdirectories from the compact disc to the distribution server, which is a network share devoted to network client setup. The directory name of this network share is usually also I386.

2. Create the Unattend.txt file with any parameters that you feel are necessary. In your Unattend.txt file, make sure Oempreinstall is set to Yes.

   For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

         ARTICLE-ID: Q155197
         TITLE     : Unattended Setup Parameters for Unattend.txt File
   
   

3. Create a directory named $oem$ under the I386 directory (the directory of the network share on the distribution server).

4. In the $oem$ directory, create a text file named Cmdlines.txt that contains the following two lines:

         [Commands]
         ".\regedit /s nowelc.reg"
   

5. Also in the $oem$ directory, create a text file named Nowelc.reg that contains the following six lines:

         REGEDIT4
   

         [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
             \Explorer\Tips]
         "DisplayInitialTipWindow"=dword:00000000
         "Show"=hex:00,00,00,00
         "Next"=hex:03,00
   
      NOTE: The second line is blank, but it must be present; line 3 above
      wraps to the next line for readability, but it should be all on one
      line in the Nowelc.reg file, with no spaces between CurrentVersion and
      \Explorer (that is, ...\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Tips]).
   
   

6. Place a copy of the Regedit.exe file (from the I386 directory) in the $oem$ directory. At this point, there should be three files in the $oem$ directory: Cmdlines.txt, Nowelc.reg, and Regedit.exe.

7. Run unattended setup for Windows NT 4.0.