Boot screen

A boot screen is often displayed by an operating system or other software to visually indicate its initial loading process. Depending on the software, the screen may include version information, a definite or indefinite progress indicator, or status messages. Many boot screens also feature the branding of the loaded software, its developer and/or distributor.

Windows 1.0 and 2.x
The boot screen was first introduced in Windows 1.0 Beta Release, with the Microsoft logo at the top being animated upon loading the system. In Windows 1.04, the boot screen was updated with a new logo, which was used by Microsoft until 2012.

Windows 3.0 and 3.1x
In Windows 3.0 build 55, the boot screen was changed to use a graphical image which can be seen in, located in the   directory. The colors would later be changed to a darker shade of purple in Windows 3.0 RC2.

Windows NT 3.1-4.0
Windows NT 3.1 build 196 uses a grey background with dark text, which has been changed in the October 1991 build to a blue background with white text. Starting with Windows NT 3.5, it also shows the available system memory as well as the amount of processors.

Windows 95
The boot screen is now loaded from, which enables animations on it, for example the bouncing Windows flags seen in Beta 1 and 2, as well as the bar animation at the bottom of the final boot screen. OSR 2.x adds "Microsoft Internet Explorer" under "Windows 95". Installing Microsoft Plus! will result in displaying itself under "Windows 95".

Windows 98
While using a keyhole effect on the boot screens of Beta 1 and 2, it reverted to full screen beginning with Beta 2.1. "Microsoft Internet Explorer" is used until the Release Candidate stage. Unlike Windows 95, where "Windows" is black and "95" in white, both "Windows" and "98" are in black. Also there, the boot screen gets modified when installing Microsoft Plus!, as "98" is displayed in color.

Windows 2000
By introducing boot-time graphics, build 1796 and above are able to display graphical content while booting. However, text-mode content can still overlay these until build 1906, where the  screen was implemented. While earlier builds showed the boot screen windowed, Professional build 1983 as well as Server build 2068 changed it to go full screen.

Windows Me
Due to the drastic reduction of DOS functionality, the usual boot screen was completely missing until Beta 2. A "first boot" screen was still available in earlier builds. During Release Candidate stage, the "first boot" screen got replaced with the usual boot screen.

Windows XP
work in progress

Windows Vista/Server 2008 (R2)
During pre-reset stage, the boot screen wasn't changed much. The only two times were build 4011 where the Windows flag was colored white and "Windows XP" has been replaced with "Longhorn" and build 4042 where Segoe UI replaced Franklin Gothic and the flag again received color.

After development reset, the XP boot screen has been reused although with a 2004 copyright date. The first bigger change came with build 5048, where the Windows flag got both white and two-dimensional and "Windows XP" has been replaced one more time with "LONGHORN". Build 5308.6 drastically reduced it to only show the bar and copyright date and notice. Build 5310 used "Loading Windows Vista™" instead. The bar altered during Release Candidate 1 stage and the date got removed during Release Candidate 2 stage. It is still used in Windows Server 2008 R2 and as a fallback screen since Windows 7.

Windows 8-11/Server 2012-2022
The Windows 7 boot screen got replaced in build 7973 (fbl_core1_kernel_npc) with the image of a betta fish, spinning circles and "Welcome". The latter two grew in size in build 7997. Further changes are:
 * The replacement with "Windows Developer Preview" and the removal of the "Welcome" text
 * The readdition of the betta fish as two-dimensional
 * The re-replacement with "Windows®"

The final iteration of the boot screen of Windows 8, 8.1, 10 as well as their server counterparts can be firstly seen in Windows 8 build 8513. It shows the Windows flag from 2012 and has been updated in Windows 11.

A new boot spinner was introduced in Manganese build 19587 but it was disabled by default. It would later be enabled by default starting with Nickel build 22449.

macOS
Mac OS X Server 1.x shows the boot stages of the Mach kernel inside of a window.

Earlier versions show the Apple logo with spinning lines on white background.

Current versions show the Apple logo with a progress bar on either dark or white background.

Linux
x86 versions show:

while amd64 versions show instead:

Ubuntu
Earlier versions displayed a progress bar which at first looped then gone full.

Starting with Ubuntu 10.04, the boot screen contains four or five points which at first glow up then gone back. On lower configurations, a fallback boot screen is displayed, where the Ubuntu logo is replaced with "Ubuntu YY.MM" written in kernel-mode font.

Spinning circles were introduced alongside with UEFI support in Ubuntu 20.04, with the Ubuntu logo at the bottom and (optionally) an OEM logo at the top.

Zorin OS
The boot screen is very minimalistic, only featuring the logo. Starting with Zorin OS 16, it can also display an OEM logo at the top.

Fedora
Similar to Ubuntu, with a spinning circle in the middle, (optionally) an OEM logo at the top and the Fedora logo at the bottom of the screen.

ReactOS
The boot screen is similar to Windows XP/Server 2003.

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2
NOTE: Server 2008 R2 continued to use the boot screen from its predecessor starting with 7000.