Making app run on startup

Hey, is it possible so that when the user opens up the application, it will automatically be added to the startup? so that everytime the computer starts up the app will load without the user having to manually add it to the startup??
Thanks in advance

In a module:

VB Code:

Option Explicit
 
Public Const REG_SZ = 1
Public Const HKEY_CURRENT_USER = &H80000001
 
Public Declare Function RegOpenKey Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegOpenKeyA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpSubKey As String, phkResult As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function RegCloseKey Lib "advapi32.dll" (ByVal hKey As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function RegCreateKey Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegCreateKeyA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpSubKey As String, phkResult As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function RegSetValueEx Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegSetValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As String, ByVal Reserved As Long, ByVal dwType As Long, lpData As Any, ByVal cbData As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function RegQueryValueEx Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegQueryValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As String, ByVal lpReserved As Long, lpType As Long, lpData As Any, lpcbData As Long) As Long
 
Public Sub SaveSettingString(hKey As Long, strPath As String, strValue As String, strData As String)
  Dim hCurKey As Long
  Dim lRegResult As Long
  
  lRegResult = RegCreateKey(hKey, strPath, hCurKey)
  lRegResult = RegSetValueEx(hCurKey, strValue, 0, REG_SZ, ByVal strData, Len(strData))
  lRegResult = RegCloseKey(hCurKey)
End Sub

In your form:

VB Code:

Private Sub Form_Load()
  Dim sAppEXE As String
  sAppEXE = App.Path & IIf(Right$(App.Path, 1) = "\", "", "\") & App.EXEName & ".exe"
  
  SaveSettingString HKEY_CURRENT_USER, "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run", App.Title, Chr$(34) & sAppEXE & Chr$(34)
End Sub

Thanks, just what I was looking for.

Cool, this code works perfectly for me,

But I don't want to take any chances with the registry, how would I write a function that would remove these entered registry settings?

Greg

Quote:

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Originally posted by BorT
Hey, is it possible so that when the user opens up the application, it will automatically be added to the startup? so that everytime the computer starts up the app will load without the user having to manually add it to the startup??
Thanks in advance

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I would have you program look to see if there is a shortcut to it in the startup folder, and if there isn't then make one or copy the exe over..

Rudy

The app does not appear in the startup folder....

So you would then do one of two things..

1) FileCopy(CurrentAPP,StartupApp)

2) Creat a shortcut to the APP in the startup folder. I have code for this, but it is at home. You might find some here on the board if you search.

VB Code:

Private Declare Function fCreateShellLink Lib "STKIT432.DLL" (ByVal _
       lpstrFolderName As String, ByVal lpstrLinkName As String, ByVal _
       lpstrLinkPath As String, ByVal lpstrLinkArgs As String) As Long
 
 
 
'Form code:
        Dim lReturn As Long
 
        'Add to Desktop
        lReturn = fCreateShellLink("\Startup", _
        "My App Startup", "C:\Path\To\YourApp", "")

I think we're missing each other here, I don't need it to be in startup. I need to remove it from the registry.

Or are you saying that I should forget writing to the registry, and just create it in the startup folder?

Greg

I'm saying, just put it in the startup folder, forget the registry.

Quote:

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Originally posted by mendhak

VB Code:

Private Declare Function fCreateShellLink Lib "STKIT432.DLL" (ByVal _
       lpstrFolderName As String, ByVal lpstrLinkName As String, ByVal _
       lpstrLinkPath As String, ByVal lpstrLinkArgs As String) As Long
 
 
 
'Form code:
        Dim lReturn As Long
 
        'Add to Desktop
        lReturn = fCreateShellLink("\Startup", _
        "My App Startup", "C:\Path\To\YourApp", "")

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I tried this, but I get an error saying unable to find dll, stkit432.dll,
how do I reference this file...

Also how does one remove this startup link?

Thanks

Isn't it in C:/WINNT/SYSTEM32?

Thanks,

But it wasn't in my system32 folder... but won't this be a problem, what happens if a PC I install my app to doesn't have this file?

I can install the file as well, but was just wondering.

Also, could you please tell me how I can remove the link from the startup menu?

Thanks
Greg

A shortcut is just a .LNK file. So you can delete it like any other file.

Delete "C:\whatever\yourmom.lnk"

Quote:

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Originally posted by duc
In a module:

VB Code:

Option Explicit
 
Public Const REG_SZ = 1
Public Const HKEY_CURRENT_USER = &H80000001
 
Public Declare Function RegOpenKey Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegOpenKeyA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpSubKey As String, phkResult As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function RegCloseKey Lib "advapi32.dll" (ByVal hKey As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function RegCreateKey Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegCreateKeyA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpSubKey As String, phkResult As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function RegSetValueEx Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegSetValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As String, ByVal Reserved As Long, ByVal dwType As Long, lpData As Any, ByVal cbData As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function RegQueryValueEx Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegQueryValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As String, ByVal lpReserved As Long, lpType As Long, lpData As Any, lpcbData As Long) As Long
 
Public Sub SaveSettingString(hKey As Long, strPath As String, strValue As String, strData As String)
  Dim hCurKey As Long
  Dim lRegResult As Long
  
  lRegResult = RegCreateKey(hKey, strPath, hCurKey)
  lRegResult = RegSetValueEx(hCurKey, strValue, 0, REG_SZ, ByVal strData, Len(strData))
  lRegResult = RegCloseKey(hCurKey)
End Sub

In your form:

VB Code:

Private Sub Form_Load()
  Dim sAppEXE As String
  sAppEXE = App.Path & IIf(Right$(App.Path, 1) = "\", "", "\") & App.EXEName & ".exe"
  
  SaveSettingString HKEY_CURRENT_USER, "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run", App.Title, Chr$(34) & sAppEXE & Chr$(34)
End Sub

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I just can't quite recall where I've seen that code before..

http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.p...hreadid=235195

Quote:

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Originally posted by mendhak
Isn't it in C:/WINNT/SYSTEM32?

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Tsk, bad Mendhak!

VB Code:

Public Declare Function fCreateShellLink Lib "vb6stkit.dll" (ByVal lpstrFolderName As String _
, ByVal lpstrLinkName As String, ByVal lpstrLinkPath As String, _
ByVal lpstrLinkArguments As String, _
ByVal fPrivate As Long, ByVal sParent As String) As Long

You shouldn't need any extra dlls this way. :)

Quote:

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Originally posted by mendhak
A shortcut is just a .LNK file. So you can delete it like any other file.

Delete "C:\whatever\yourmom.lnk"

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I thought kill was for that :confused: