starting application on startup

[PJB]

I'm writing a utility program that simply starts other setup programs, some of the setup programs require a restart after the installation is complete, how can i make my application start back up automatically after the restart?
Any help is appreciated,THANX

Pete Butler

Add a registry entry in the following path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MAHCINE\Software\Microsoft\CurrentVersion\Run.
For the Value, enter your App name (ie MyApp) and for the Data, enter your App path (ie C:\Myapp.exe)

Hi, sorry to hijack a topic, but...

Megatron, could you give me a quick bit of code to add that value to the registry (if possible in the form that you have written above).

Thanks

[PJB]

The program will be running on numerous new pc's(it's a silly little program to install drivers), so it's not something that will be installed on the c: drive, will this work from cdrom?

Wossname: Insert the following code into a module.

Public Const HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT = &H80000000
Public Const HKEY_CURRENT_USER = &H80000001
Public Const HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE = &H80000002
Public Const HKEY_USERS = &H80000003
Public Const HKEY_PERFORMANCE_DATA = &H80000004

Declare Function RegCloseKey Lib "advapi32.dll" (ByVal hkey As Long) As Long
Declare Function RegCreateKey Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegCreateKeyA" (ByVal hkey As Long, ByVal lpSubKey As String, phkResult As Long) As Long
Declare Function RegOpenKey Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegOpenKeyA" (ByVal hkey As Long, ByVal lpSubKey As String, phkResult As Long) As Long
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
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

Function RegQueryStringValue(ByVal hkey As Long, ByVal strValueName As String)
    
    Dim lResult As Long
    Dim lValueType As Long
    Dim strBuf As String
    Dim lDataBufSize As Long
    
    On Error GoTo 0
    lResult = RegQueryValueEx(hkey, strValueName, 0&, lValueType, ByVal 0&, lDataBufSize)
    If lResult = ERROR_SUCCESS Then
        If lValueType = REG_SZ Then
            strBuf = String(lDataBufSize, " ")
            lResult = RegQueryValueEx(hkey, strValueName, 0&, 0&, ByVal strBuf, lDataBufSize)
            If lResult = ERROR_SUCCESS Then
                RegQueryStringValue = StripTerminator(strBuf)
            End If
        End If
    End If
    
End Function

Public Function GetString(hkey As Long, strpath As String, strvalue As String)

    Dim keyhand&
    Dim datatype&
    r = RegOpenKey(hkey, strpath, keyhand&)
    GetString = RegQueryStringValue(keyhand&, strvalue)
    r = RegCloseKey(keyhand&)

End Function

Function StripTerminator(ByVal strString As String) As String
    Dim intZeroPos As Integer

    intZeroPos = InStr(strString, Chr$(0))
    If intZeroPos > 0 Then
        StripTerminator = Left$(strString, intZeroPos - 1)
    Else
        StripTerminator = strString
    End If
End Function

Public Sub savestring(hkey As Long, strpath As String, strvalue As String, strdata As String)

    Dim keyhand&
    r = RegCreateKey(hkey, strpath, keyhand&)
    r = RegSetValueEx(keyhand&, strvalue, 0, REG_SZ, ByVal strdata, Len(strdata))
    r = RegCloseKey(keyhand&)

End Sub

Insert the following in a Form with 2 CommandButtons

Private Sub Command1_Click()

    'Save a Value to the Registry
    savestring HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run", "MyApp", "C:\MyApp.exe"
    
End Sub

Private Sub Command2_Click()

    'Get a value from the Registry
    Retval = GetString(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run", "MyApp")
    Print Retval

End Sub

PJB: Yes, it should work if it's in the CD-ROM drive. Just specify the path as D:\MyApp.exe.

[Lafor]

Unless I misunderstand the question but all
on has to do is to create a shortcut to your app
and place it under the StartUp menu of windows
It will ensure that the applicattion starts after
restart

There is absolutely no need for any code at all
anywhere for this (unless I fail to understand the
question)

Vale!

[PJB]

Lafor: That would work but i don't want it to startup everytime they restart the computer, only while they have the CD in and are using the utility.

[parksie]

I think the registry entries get processed before those in the StartUp group.

if you only want it to run once than add an entry to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce