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Is there a Eula that defines what you can and can't do with the Boot animation on windows 7? I know that on XP this was prohibited but I haven't seen anything on windows 7. Can any modifications be made? If modifications can be made what can be changed? Total replacement? Required to keep the Windows logo visible, Windows copyright?

Does anyone have a link or reference for the section of the Eula at the very least?

This would be for Touchscreen computers we purchase from another company for use in Automation Cells that we build, the actual computers are not built by us but have our logo, and our part number. We definitely don't have an OEM agreement either, but I have been asked to replace the bootscreens on the panels to include the company logo, so I want to validate the legality of it preferably with the actual legal documentation to back it up.

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  • Customizing the boot animation "[...] is not something we will support in Windows 7. The reasons for this should be pretty clear, which is that we cannot guarantee the security of the system to allow for arbitrary elements to be loaded into memory at boot time." Source
    – and31415
    Feb 4, 2014 at 17:29
  • That just states that it's not a supported feature, I already have the ability to customize the boot screen using other tools. What I need to know is if that would violate any Terms, This is for a business so while I know I can do it, and they'd like it done, I don't know if theirs a legal document stating its not to be done, or if their are any guidelines. I know I've seen some companies include their logo in the boot animation in one of the corners of the screen but I'm curious if simply replacing it with an image of our logo during boot would violate any terms.
    – charles.schlue
    Feb 4, 2014 at 18:45
  • You can even silence the boot animation, so having it load a company logo before booting into windows would be similar to showing a BOIS Post Logo.
    – charles.schlue
    Feb 4, 2014 at 18:47
  • Note that WES7 does have a specific clause for this: 'The “Splash Screen” means the Product screen displaying the Windows logo that appears upon Embedded System bootup...Company shall use the entire Splash Screen with no modifications; or ... replace the Splash Screen entirely with its own splash screen without including any portion of the Splash Screen.'
    – thaimin
    Mar 20, 2015 at 0:25

2 Answers 2

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Not supported

We know many of you might be asking if you could include your own animation or customize this sequence. This is not something we will support in Windows 7. [...]

The reasons for this should be pretty clear, which is that we cannot guarantee the security of the system to allow for arbitrary elements to be loaded into memory at boot time. In the early stages of starting Windows, the system needs to be locked down and execute along a very carefully monitored and known state as tools such as firewalls and anti-virus checking are not yet available to secure the system. And of course, even though we’re sure everyone would follow the requirements around image size, content, etc. due to performance we would not want to build in all the code necessary to guarantee that all third parties would be doing so.

Source: Engineering the Windows 7 Boot Animation

End-user License Agreement

Here's an excerpt from the Windows 7 SP1 EULA:

SCOPE OF LICENSE. The software is licensed, not sold. This agreement only gives you some rights to use the features included in the software edition you licensed. Microsoft reserves all other rights. Unless applicable law gives you more rights despite this limitation, you may use the software only as expressly permitted in this agreement. In doing so, you must comply with any technical limitations in the software that only allow you to use it in certain ways. You may not

  • work around any technical limitations in the software;

The full text can be found in the sources\license folder of the setup media, or in the C:\Windows\System32\<languageCode>\Licenses folder once installed.

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  • I'd say that's the most acceptable answer. I've just gone ahead and flashed the motherboards to post with our logo and windows is set to silent boot.
    – charles.schlue
    Feb 7, 2014 at 20:02
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The EULA is an agreement between Microsoft and the End-user.

If you are a system builder, you want the OEM System Builder Licensing agreements, which are available from MS.

For specifics you can't find in the documentation, you'll want to talk to your/an MS representative.

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  • We're actually not an OEM, I phrased that wrong, I'll correct the original question. We purchase systems from another company for use in Automation Cells that we build, the actual computers are not built by us but have our logo, and our part number. We definitely don't have an OEM agreement either.
    – charles.schlue
    Feb 4, 2014 at 16:52

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