Quickest way to implement a C++ Win32 Splash Screen

If you're targeting modern versions of Windows (Windows 2000) and above, you can use the UpdateLayeredWindow function to display any bitmap (including one with an alpha channel, if so desired).

I blogged a four-part series on how to write a C++ Win32 app that does this. If you need to wait for exactly ten seconds to close the splash screen (instead of until the main window is ready), you would need to use Dan Cristoloveanu's suggested technique of a timer that calls DestroyWindow.

Register a class for the splash window and create a window using these styles:

• WS_POPUPWINDOW: will make sure your window has no caption/sysmenu
• WS_EX_TOPMOST: will keep the splash screen on top of everything. Note that this is a bit intrusive. It might be better to just make the splash window a child of your main window. You may have to manipulate the z-order, though, to keep any other popup windows (if you create any) below the splash screen.

Use CreateDIBSection to load the bitmap. It should be easy, since BMP files are essentially dumps of DIB structures. Or do what Ken said and use LoadImage.

Handle the WM_PAINT or WM_ERASEBKGND message to draw the bitmap on the window.

On WM_CREATE set a timer of 10 seconds and when Windows sends the WM_TIMER message, have the window destroy itself.

The key point here is to use layered window.

You can start with a win32 wizard generated project and change CreateWindow call to CreateWindowEx and set WS_EX_LAYERED as extended window style and combination of WS_POPUP and WS_SYSMENU as window style. When you do that launch your application it will be invisible. Then you should use UpdateLayeredWindow to paint your image. You may also need AlphaBlend function if you want use PNG image with alpha layer.

Hope this helps!