Build a Nintendo NES PC

Step 8 Testing it all / Software installation

With trembling hands I attached the power, keyboard and mouse. I then connected the tv-out to my television and pressed "Power". Success! The red power led happily turned on and I was greeted with the BIOS loading screen. I put my Windows XP installation CD in the drive and started installing.

After installing Windows, drivers, an internet browser etc., I moved all my games to the NES PC's harddrive. Next, I set up the frontend that will work as my "operating system", though not in the strict sense of the word. As soon as Windows opens, the frontend will automatically start fullscreen, hiding the Windows interface. I also went through some extra steps to make the NES PC seem less like a computer:

Using Stardocks Bootskin, I switched the default loading screen to a more Nintendo-ish picture.

My Windows booted straight to a Welcome screen, where you're supposed to select which user to log in as. I got rid of the screen by following these steps:

Start Menu -> Control Panel + select User Accounts.
Select "Change the way users log on or off"
Un-tick the "Use the Welcome screen" + apply options. Close the User Accounts window.
Start Menu -> Run and enter control userpasswords2
Un-tick the "User must enter a username and password to use this computer"
Enter the password for the person you want to login as.

Next, I removed the "Loading settings" message that appears when Windoze is starting up:

Start Menu ->Run and enter regedit
Navigate to entry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE> Software> Microsoft> Windows> CurrentVersion> Policies> System
If there is an entry for "DisableStatusMessages" set it to 1 .
If there is no entry, right-mouse click the System word, and select New->DWORD value, and enter DisableStatusMessages, right-mouse to edit the value of it, and enter 1

To turn off the obnoxious pop-up info balloons in the right bottom corner of the screen:

Start Menu -> Run and enter regedit
Navigate to entry: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Explorer\ Advanced
If there is an entry for "EnableBalloonTips" set it to the decimal 0 (the digit zero)
If there is no entry, right-mouse click the "Advanced" word, and select New->DWORD value, and enter "EnableBalloonTips", right-mouse to edit the value of it, and enter the decimal 0 (the digit zero).

Lastly, and most importantly, I added the frontend to the Startup -folder in the Start Menu. That way, when Windows is started, the frontend is automatically launched!

Comments

[drresearch]

Instead of adding the emulator to the Startup folder, if you don't use the computer for other reasons you could as well go to the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Winlogon and find the "Shell" value name. Change the value from explorer.exe to the full path of your emuator's .exe file.

[Mr Coke Machine]

Just wondering what resolution do you get with that TV???

[flifel]

Why not using Linux and boot on an USB storage (16 GB for 30$),

[illegal3alien]

It's an idea, but internal (IDE or SATA) will run a lot faster (around 100MB/s vs 60MB/s with USB, making internal work better). It could be used to put all the ROMs on, thus allowing for more space as you can get a huge External USB HD.

[1oooop]

I agree ... LINUX ALL THE WAY!!!

[illegal3alien]

I hope you realize this plays NES, Gameboy, PlayStation games through different emulators. These emulators are designed for Windows (XP) and installing Linux would make the system simply a computer instead of a video game system. The front-end he talks about is probably just some software set to run of login that offers options to launch each emulator then select each game ROM.

[RancidMDC]

illegal3alien im trying to make one of these things and it's comin out great so far except i cant get any of the emulators to launch upon start-up. how do i fix this?

[Sadodare]

Are you trying to tell me that there are no emulators for linux? Please tell me you're kidding...There are many all over, and with Wine...emulators are simple enough to run anyway if they were windows written

[H3xx]

That and most of the best emulators are designed for Linux, then ported to L00zD0$e.

[dsman195276]

you do realize that you are not going to get a reply right?

[sp33dstix]

lol way to be a hypocrite...

[dsman195276]

i meant a comment from hatsuli

[stumppuller71]

You do realize Hatsuli has passed on due to Cancer correct?

[dsman195276]

i do, i don't think flifel did. thats what i was talking about.

[stumppuller71]

Ok gotcha.

[sonaps]

I do not believe that they know of his passing.

[staalwart]

Which frontend did you use?

[acornstu]

lol. wtb flashing blue loading screen pst

[REA]

now all you need is an 8-bit theme for it!