How to Change Boot Logo in Windows 10/11

Want to give your PC a personal touch that shows off the moment it powers on? In this guide, you’ll learn how to change the default Windows boot logo and replace it with your own custom image in Windows 10 and Windows 11. This is a fun, advanced customization that lets you create a unique startup screen every time you boot your computer.

We’ll walk step by step through checking system compatibility, creating a safe boot logo image, installing the required tool, and fixing Secure Boot warnings if they appear. Don’t worry — everything is explained in beginner-friendly language, and you’ll also learn how to restore the original Windows logo anytime. Let’s get started.

Before You Start (Important Notes)

Before we begin changing anything at the boot level, there are a few important things you should understand. This process is safe when followed correctly, but since we’re modifying how Windows starts, mistakes can cause boot issues.

First, this method works only on UEFI systems. If your PC is using Legacy BIOS mode, HackBGRT will not work. We’ll check that in the next step.

Second, always keep a recovery option ready. Ideally, you should have:

• A Windows recovery USB
• Or System Restore enabled
• Or a backup of important files

This is just a precaution — most users won’t run into problems, but it’s smart to be prepared.

If you use BitLocker encryption, make sure you know your recovery key before continuing. Changing boot components can sometimes trigger BitLocker protection.

And finally: use only a properly formatted 24-bit BMP image. Using the wrong format (PNG/JPG renamed as BMP) can break the boot process. We’ll show exactly how to create the correct file in the next steps.

Now that everything is clear, let’s check whether your system supports this customization.

Step 1: Check if Your System Uses UEFI or Legacy BIOS

This is the most important check in the entire guide. HackBGRT only works on systems that boot using UEFI. If your PC is running in Legacy BIOS mode, the tool will not work and you should stop here.

Here’s how to check:

1. Press Windows + R on your keyboard
2. Type msinfo32 and press Enter
3. The System Information window will open
4. Look for the entry called BIOS Mode

Now check what it says:

• If it says UEFI → ✅ You can continue
• If it says Legacy → ❌ This method will not work

If your system is already in UEFI mode, great — you’re ready for the next step.

Next, we’ll prepare your custom boot logo image in the correct format so Windows can display it safely during startup.

Step 2: Create a Proper Boot Logo Image

Now we’ll create the custom image that will replace the Windows boot logo. This step is very important because the image must follow strict formatting rules. The safest way is to use the built-in Paint app in Windows.

Set the canvas resolution

1. Open Paint
2. Click Resize
3. Select Pixels
4. Uncheck Maintain aspect ratio
5. Enter your screen resolution
   (Example for Full HD: 1920 × 1080)
6. Click OK

Tip: Always use your display’s native resolution to avoid distortion.

Fill the background with black

1. Select the Fill tool (paint bucket)
2. Choose black color
3. Click anywhere on the canvas

The entire image should now be solid black.

Insert your custom logo

1. Click File → Import to canvas → From a file
2. Select your logo image
3. Resize it (for example 400 × 400)
4. Drag it to the center

Keep the design simple. Boot logos work best with clean shapes and high contrast.

Save in the correct format

1. Click File → Save As
2. Choose BMP picture
3. Name it: splash.bmp

⚠ Important rules:

• Must be BMP
• 24-bit color
• Black background
• No transparency
• Do NOT use PNG/JPG renamed as BMP

Using the wrong format can cause boot failure.

Once saved, your custom boot logo is ready. Next, we’ll download the tool that installs it into the Windows boot process.

Step 3: Download the HackBGRT Tool

To replace the Windows boot logo, we’ll use a small open-source tool called HackBGRT. It’s specifically designed for UEFI systems and safely injects your custom image into the boot process.

Use the button below to download it:

After downloading:

1. Extract the ZIP file to a folder
2. Open the extracted HackBGRT folder
3. You’ll see a file named splash.bmp — this is the default logo

We’re going to replace this file with the custom splash.bmp you created in the previous step.

Next, we’ll swap the image and install HackBGRT so your new boot logo becomes active.

Step 4: Replace the Default Logo File

Now we’ll insert your custom image into the HackBGRT folder so it becomes the new boot logo.

1. Copy the splash.bmp file you created earlier
2. Open the extracted HackBGRT folder
3. Paste your file into that folder
4. When Windows asks, choose Replace the existing file

This step tells HackBGRT to use your custom image instead of the default one that came with the tool.

Double-check that:

• The file name is exactly splash.bmp
• It is inside the main HackBGRT folder
• It is a real BMP file (not PNG renamed)

Once confirmed, we’re ready to install HackBGRT and activate the new logo.

Next, we’ll run the installer and apply the boot screen change.

Step 5: Install HackBGRT and Apply the Boot Logo

Now it’s time to install HackBGRT and activate your custom boot logo.

1. Inside the HackBGRT folder, right-click setup.exe
2. Select Run as administrator
3. A Command Prompt window will open
4. Type I and press Enter (for Install)
5. Wait a few seconds
6. Press Enter again to close the window

That’s it — the tool is now installed.

Restart your computer and you should see your custom boot logo appear during startup.

👉 If your system shows a “Verification Failed” or “Security Violation” screen after reboot, don’t panic. That just means Secure Boot is blocking the tool. In the next step, we’ll fix that safely by enrolling the HackBGRT key.

Step 6: Fix Secure Boot “Verification Failed” Error

Some systems with Secure Boot enabled will block HackBGRT the first time you reboot. You may see a message like:

Verification Failed
Security Violation

This is normal. Secure Boot is doing its job by preventing unknown bootloaders. We just need to tell it to trust HackBGRT.

Enroll HackBGRT in Secure Boot

1. On the error screen, select OK
2. Enter the Key Management menu
3. Choose Enroll Hash from Disk
4. Select the EFI System Partition

Now browse to this folder path:

EFI → HackBGRT → grubx64.efi

5. Select grubx64.efi
6. Click Continue
7. Choose Yes to confirm

This registers HackBGRT as trusted without disabling Secure Boot.

Restart your computer again. Your custom boot logo should now appear normally every time you start the PC.

Next, I’ll show you how to restore the original Windows logo if you ever want to undo the change.

Step 7: Restore the Original Windows Boot Logo

If you ever want to remove your custom logo and go back to the default Windows boot screen, the process is very simple.

1. Open the HackBGRT folder again
2. Right-click setup.exe
3. Select Run as administrator
4. In the terminal window, type R
5. Press Enter

This command removes HackBGRT and restores the original Windows bootloader.

Restart your PC and the default Windows logo will return.

Troubleshooting (If Something Goes Wrong)

Even though the process is usually smooth, here are the most common issues and fixes:

Logo not showing

• Make sure BIOS mode is UEFI
• Confirm the file name is exactly splash.bmp
• Reinstall HackBGRT (run setup → press I)

Boot logo looks stretched

• Recreate the image using your native screen resolution

Secure Boot error keeps appearing

• Re-enroll the hash for grubx64.efi
• Make sure you selected the correct EFI partition

System won’t boot

• Boot into Windows recovery
• Run HackBGRT restore (setup → R)
• Or use System Restore

If you followed everything correctly, your PC should now display your custom logo every time it starts. Enjoy your personalized boot screen!

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Does this work on all Windows 10/11 computers?
It works on most modern PCs that use UEFI firmware. Systems running Legacy BIOS are not supported.

Can I use a PNG with transparency?
No. Transparent PNG files can cause boot issues. Always use a 24-bit BMP with a solid black background.

Is this dangerous for my PC?
When done correctly using the official HackBGRT release, it’s safe and reversible. Just follow the image format rules and keep a recovery option ready.

Will Windows updates remove my custom logo?
Major feature updates sometimes reset boot components. If that happens, simply reinstall HackBGRT using the same steps.

Can I animate the boot logo?
No. UEFI boot logos are static images only.

Will this slow down my startup?
No noticeable difference. It only replaces the image shown during boot.

Final Thoughts

Changing the Windows boot logo is a fun advanced tweak that gives your PC a unique personality. As long as your system runs UEFI and you use the correct BMP format, the process is safe, reversible, and surprisingly simple.

You now know how to:

✔ Check UEFI compatibility
✔ Create a proper boot-safe image
✔ Install HackBGRT
✔ Fix Secure Boot warnings
✔ Restore the original logo anytime

Enjoy your custom startup screen! 🚀