Windows Server 2008 allows you to brand the OOBE and Server Manager.
To brand both you can use the following steps:
1. Install the x64 Compiler for Visual Studio 2008
2. Run Visual Studio 2008
3. Create a Visual C++ / Win32 Project
4. Select DLL and click Finish
5. Create a new Resource, add a String Table Resource, and enter all the needed texts for your branding
6. Add a Bitmap to your resources
7. Open the Project Properties > Configuration Manager
8. Select Release and click New in the Platform dropdown, select x64 as Platform, click OK
9. Compile the project
10. Copy the output DLL to the target system into the `Windows\system32` directory
11. Create an XML configuration file (ServerUIExtension) referencing your DLL
12. Copy the XML file to `Windows\system32`
13. Open regedit and set the registry key value to the full path of the XML file
14. Close all OOBE and Server Managers, then start OOBE or Server Manager
Common Error Codes:
- Error 193: The DLL is not compiled for the target system's architecture (e.g., Windows is x64 but DLL is x86). Solution: Compile the DLL for the correct architecture.
- Error 14001: The DLL needs additional dependencies (e.g., compiled with VS2008). Solution: Install the VC9 Redistributable package. If this does not resolve the issue, check dependencies using Dependency Walker.