One of the best things I have always loved about Microsoft Windows is the progress bar. Although, there has been a lot of changes in mordern times, I am going to teach you how to create the classic windows XP setup screen.

The colors we would be using is the classic yellow progress bar on a blue screen.

Note the following colors down;

1E.

Step 1: Understanding the Anatomy of Progress Bars

A progress bar is an indicator for the user to know the rate at which a setup is being carried out. It does help estimate the times. So it is indication of rate of transfer from start to the end.

Rate = Distance/Time in other words Transfers /Time.

Step 2: Let's Dive Into the Code

As usual launch your favorite windows notepad. Click start and type notepad or click the Windows Key + R to launch run and then type notepad.

Write the following lines. (This is the foundation in creating a progress bar effect);

@echo off
echo.
cls
echo.
echo.
echo
Counting 1.
echo ----------------------------------
echo 1
echo ----------------------------------
ping -n 3 localhost >nul
cls
echo.
echo.
echo Counting 2..
echo ----------------------------------
echo 2
echo ----------------------------------
ping -n 3 localhost >nul
cls
echo.
echo.
echo Counting 3...
echo ----------------------------------
echo 3
echo ----------------------------------
ping -n 3 localhost >nul

Step 3: Customizing Code to Match Your Favorite Progress Bar

Open your Command Prompt and try which colors would work for your progress bar.

Remember to take a darker background and a lighter foreground or the other way round for your progress bar.

Type color /? and that would yield results such as the following;

Sets the default console foreground and background colors.
COLOR [attr]

attr Specifies color attribute of console output

Color attributes are specified by TWO hex digits -- the first corresponds to the background; the second the foreground. Each digit can be any of the following values:

0 = Black 8 = Gray

1 = Blue 9 = Light Blue

2 = Green A = Light Green

3 = Aqua B = Light Aqua

4 = Red C = Light Red

5 = Purple D = Light Purple

6 = Yellow E = Light Yellow

7 = White F = Bright White

If no argument is given, this command restores the color to what it was when CMD.EXE started. This value either comes from the current console window, the /T command line switch or from the DefaultColor registry value.

The COLOR command sets ERRORLEVEL to 1 if an attempt is made to execute the COLOR command with a foreground and background color that are the same.

Example: "COLOR fc" produces light red on bright white

C:\>

Step 4: Download the Amazing Progress Bar

Here you have, the amazing Windows XP progress bar. Start playing with progressive dots for example one dot represents a progress and two dots represents a progressive transition.

If you are happy with the code, do well to leave your feedback. I would be creating 24 Hours CTU styled screens with many adavanced parts shortly. Stay tuned and don't tell anyone you can create the amazing progress bar.

PS: Download the Bonus ECG script and make modifications. I would like to see what you can come up with.

You could get a shorter progress bar script. See the PBonus file.

See ya!