startup image!

[stanwich]

hey guys!! i was hoping i could get some help with this problem, i want to change my startup images...id like to get rid of the bell logo and the microsoft win screen, i think its called the splash screen....i would like my own images instead...so i went to the registry under hkeylocal machine..then to software\microsoft\splash screen...i changed the carrierbitmap and msbitmap adresses to the image i would like...my image is a bmp. file, is this the right format? also do i have to have a specific resolution size? after the changes i still get the bell screen but the ms screen is just white now,

any help would be awesome, i thought i had the idea but i must be missing something