Autostart App from Registry

[ksutton]

Isn't there a way to add a key to the registry so that an App can be autostarted without out having to create a shortcut in the Startup folder?

I would like the app to run for all users if possible, but current user is fine too.

Thanks,
Kevin

VB6 Professional w/ SP4

[parksie]

They are stored under:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

The key name is a unique name to identify your application, and the value is the path to the executable (parameters are OK).

[ksutton]

I did find a post similar to mine shortly after I submitted. Never the less... thanks for your quick reply! I have done so, and it works like a charm....

[PsyVision]

How can i use 'parameters' i think it is so when someone double clicks on a file that my app uses it will open my app and open the specified file?

[kedaman]

First you need to associate your filetype to your app, then in runtime you retrieve the parameter line by Command$ function;

Yourfile=Command$

[parksie]

When you set up your file association, use:

"c:\myapp\myapp.exe" "%1"

The %1 will be expanded into the filename.

Although - what I meant by 'parameters' was that you can specify absolute parameters and they'll work, but no specific expansions will be performed. Anyone got any details for environment variables?

[Nitro]

Basic concepts of registry, Key is like a folder and Value is like a file. That is just an analogy.

Drop this into a module and do a step through. While doing the debug step through, run Regedit.Exe under Start Button-Run to verify the actions of the code. You can press F5 to refresh the Regedit screen.

It will:
Create a Key
Create a Value for a registry Key
Read Data and Path from a Value
Delete a Value from a registry Key
Delete a Key and all of its Value

BTW... Be very careful when playing with registry. I made this example to create a bogus KEY call "Testing".

Option Explicit

Private Declare Function RegOpenKeyEx Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegOpenKeyExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpSubKey As String, ByVal ulOptions As Long, ByVal samDesired As Long, phkResult As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function RegCloseKey Lib "advapi32.dll" (ByVal hKey As Long) As Long
Private Const ERROR_SUCCESS = 0&
'****************************************************
  Private Const SYNCHRONIZE = & H100 000
  Private Const KEY_CREATE_SUB_KEY = &H4
  Private Const KEY_SET_VALUE = &H2
    Private Const READ_CONTROL = &H20000
  Private Const STANDARD_RIGHTS_WRITE = (READ_CONTROL)
Private Const KEY_WRITE = ((STANDARD_RIGHTS_WRITE Or KEY_SET_VALUE Or KEY_CREATE_SUB_KEY) And (Not SYNCHRONIZE))
  
  'Private Const SYNCHRONIZE = & H100 000
  Private Const KEY_CREATE_LINK = &H20
  Private Const KEY_NOTIFY = &H10
  Private Const KEY_ENUMERATE_SUB_KEYS = &H8
  'Private Const KEY_CREATE_SUB_KEY = &H4
  'Private Const KEY_SET_VALUE = &H2
  Private Const KEY_QUERY_VALUE = &H1
  Private Const STANDARD_RIGHTS_ALL = &H1F0000
Private Const KEY_ALL_ACCESS = ((STANDARD_RIGHTS_ALL Or KEY_QUERY_VALUE Or KEY_SET_VALUE Or KEY_CREATE_SUB_KEY Or KEY_ENUMERATE_SUB_KEYS Or KEY_NOTIFY Or KEY_CREATE_LINK) And (Not SYNCHRONIZE))
'****************************************************
Private Const HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT = &H80000000
Private Const HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG = &H80000005
Private Const HKEY_CURRENT_USER = &H80000001
Private Const HKEY_DYN_DATA = &H80000006
Private Const HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE = &H80000002
Private Const HKEY_PERFORMANCE_DATA = &H80000004
Private Const HKEY_USERS = &H80000003
'****************************************************
Private Declare Function RegCreateKeyEx Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegCreateKeyExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpSubKey As String, ByVal Reserved As Long, ByVal lpClass As String, ByVal dwOptions As Long, ByVal samDesired As Long, lpSecurityAttributes As SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES, phkResult As Long, lpdwDisposition As Long) As Long
Private Const REG_OPTION_NON_VOLATILE = 0
Private Type SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES
    nLength As Long
    lpSecurityDescriptor As Long
    bInheritHandle As Long
End Type

Private 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
Private Const REG_SZ = 1

Private 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

Private Declare Function RegDeleteValue Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegDeleteValueA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As String) As Long

Private Declare Function RegDeleteKey Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegDeleteKeyA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpSubKey As String) As Long
'****************************************************


Dim str_KeyFolder As String
Dim str_Value_ProgramName As String
Dim str_Data_ProgramPath As String
Dim lng_Handle_To_KeyFolder As Long  ' handle to the open or new registry key
Dim lng_Return As Long

Sub Main()
  'CONCEPTS:  KEY   - Folders in Window Explorers
  '           VALUE - Files
  '           DATA  - Path

  'PITFALL: Make sure there is no "\" at the end
  
  str_KeyFolder = "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Testing"
  'str_KeyFolder = "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run"          'NOTICE: Uncomment this line will make program start everytime log on
  str_Value_ProgramName = "Project1"
  str_Data_ProgramPath = "C:\Test.exe"

    
  'Open RegEdit.Exe while step through this code - Refresh(F5) Regedit Screen after each procedure
  
  'OVERALL: Create a Key - Folder Column in RegEdit.Exe
  Call p_Create_Key
  
  'OVERALL: Create a Value for a registry Key - Name Column in RegEdit.Exe
  Call p_Create_Value(str_Value_ProgramName, str_Data_ProgramPath)
  
  'OVERALL: Read Data or File Path from a Value - Data Column in RegEdit.Exe
  Call p_Read_Data_From_Value(str_Value_ProgramName)

  'OVERALL: Delete a Value from a registry Key
  Call p_Delete_Value(str_Value_ProgramName)
  
  'OVERALL: Delete a Key and all of its Value
  Call p_Delete_Key
End Sub

Public Sub p_Create_Key()
    'PURPOSE: Set the name of the new key and the default security settings
    Dim sec_Attri As SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES  ' security settings of the key
    sec_Attri.nLength = Len(sec_Attri)    ' size of the structure
    sec_Attri.lpSecurityDescriptor = 0    ' default security level
    sec_Attri.bInheritHandle = True       ' the default value for this setting
    
    Dim lng_New_Or_Exist As Long          ' "1" if new key - "2" if existing key was opened
    
    'PURPOSE: Create or open the registry key and assign the handle to lng_Handle_To_KeyFolder
    lng_Return = RegCreateKeyEx(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, str_KeyFolder, 0, vbNullString, _
                                REG_OPTION_NON_VOLATILE, KEY_WRITE, sec_Attri, _
                                lng_Handle_To_KeyFolder, lng_New_Or_Exist)
    
    If lng_Return <> ERROR_SUCCESS Then
      MsgBox "Error in p_Create_Key procedure!"
      End
    End If
    
    'PURPOSE: Close the registry key if it was successfully opened
    Call RegCloseKey(lng_Handle_To_KeyFolder)
End Sub

Public Sub p_Create_Value(str_Value_ProgramName As String, str_Data_ProgramPath As String)
    'PURPOSE: Open the registry key (str_KeyFolder) and _
              assign the handle to lng_Handle_To_KeyFolder
    lng_Return = RegOpenKeyEx(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, str_KeyFolder, 0, _
                              KEY_ALL_ACCESS, lng_Handle_To_KeyFolder)
    
    If lng_Return = ERROR_SUCCESS Then
      'PURPOSE: Add the desired value to the key.
      Call RegSetValueEx(lng_Handle_To_KeyFolder, str_Value_ProgramName, _
                         0, REG_SZ, ByVal str_Data_ProgramPath, Len(str_Data_ProgramPath))
      
      'PURPOSE: Close the registry key if it was successfully opened
      Call RegCloseKey(lng_Handle_To_KeyFolder)
    End If
End Sub

Public Sub p_Read_Data_From_Value(str_Value_ProgramName As String)
    'PURPOSE: Open the registry key (str_KeyFolder) and _
              assign the handle to lng_Handle_To_KeyFolder
    lng_Return = RegOpenKeyEx(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, str_KeyFolder, 0, _
                              KEY_ALL_ACCESS, lng_Handle_To_KeyFolder)
    
    If lng_Return = ERROR_SUCCESS Then
      'PURPOSE: Read data
      Dim str_Data As String * 50
      Call RegQueryValueEx(lng_Handle_To_KeyFolder, str_Value_ProgramName, _
                           0, REG_SZ, ByVal str_Data, Len(str_Data))
      MsgBox Left(str_Data, Len(str_Data))

      'PURPOSE: Close the registry key if it was successfully opened
      Call RegCloseKey(lng_Handle_To_KeyFolder)
    End If
End Sub

Public Sub p_Delete_Value(str_Value_ProgramName As String)
    'PURPOSE: Open the registry key (str_KeyFolder) and _
              assign the handle to lng_Handle_To_KeyFolder
    lng_Return = RegOpenKeyEx(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, str_KeyFolder, 0, _
                              KEY_ALL_ACCESS, lng_Handle_To_KeyFolder)
    
    If lng_Return = ERROR_SUCCESS Then
      'PURPOSE: Delete the desired value from the key.
      Call RegDeleteValue(lng_Handle_To_KeyFolder, str_Value_ProgramName)
      
      'PURPOSE: Close the registry key if it was successfully opened
      Call RegCloseKey(lng_Handle_To_KeyFolder)
    End If
End Sub

Public Sub p_Delete_Key()
    lng_Return = RegDeleteKey(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, str_KeyFolder)
    
    If lng_Return <> ERROR_SUCCESS Then
      MsgBox "Error in p_Delete_Key procedure!"
    End If
End Sub

It might look intimidating, but it is quite easy to understand.

[parksie]

For a full example program, go to http://www.katisha.demon.co.uk/vb/files/registry.zip.
It demonstrates saving/loading dwords and strings.

[PsyVision]

Cheers, this has sorted my problem, but how would i load command$ into a string called WhatToDo

[parksie]

What, just WhatToDo = Command?

You need to parse out the parameters as your program requires.

[PsyVision]

How do i make it(with vb code) so when my program is run i get the %1 part of "D:\MyProg.exe " "%1" and then get my app to open that %1

[parksie]

Set up a file association in the usual way, then use Command to get the file name.

Private Sub Form_Load()
    Dim Result()
    Dim sFile as String
    Result = Split(Command)
    sFile = CStr(Result(0))
    ' Then load as normal
End Sub

Obviously, you'd need to check if there was a filename. Also, I am not familiar with VB6's Split function (I wrote my own because I'm still in VB5 - I could post it here), so this may not work as such, but the principle is OK.

[PsyVision]

Cheers, i'll try it now