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You're not stuck with XP's default splash logo on the startup screen—use any picture or logo of your choosing.

One of the nice things about XP is how malleable it is. Don't like the way it looks? No problem—change it. Take my splash screen, please!

Many people, myself included, would prefer to see a more interesting splash screen (also called the startup screen) than the default gives you on start-up. You can change your splash screen to any of hundreds that have been created, or make one of your own—for example, with your picture or company logo on it.

To choose from already created splash screens, go to XP Themes, Vista Themes, XP Logins, XP Boot Screens, Desktop Themes, Wallpapers, Screensavers and click on Boot Screens. You'll find over a thousand of them, organized by categories such as Sports, TV/Movies, and so on. Being a fan of Jack London's The Call of the Wild, I use a picture of huskies for my splash screen. You can see it pictured in Figure 1-2. Nice way to greet the new day, don't you think?