How to Get a Program to Execute on Startup

Startup RunServices Registry start.exe 

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Question:

I am trying to get a program to execute when windows 95 starts. The first thing that appears is my novell 32bit login prompt. How do I get something to execute before it asks me for my Novell password?

Answer:

I've heard that if you put a program or a compiled Winbatch EXE file in under the RunServices key, it will run a script at system bootup, and it can send keystrokes to the Win95 login box. Hopefully just ENTER but maybe it can type a password too.

1. All you have to do is put the following info in your registry with regedit:

   In the registry under:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/RunServices
   

   If RunServices key does not exist then simply add it. Within RunServices, add a string value (not a new key), give the value a name, and then put in the path of the file you want to execute.

   For example:

   'New Value #1' would be 'Editor'
   'Value data' would be 'C:\windows\notepad.exe'
   

   In the case of the Novell login, you can have one of your scripts come up and validate a user before they get to the Novell prompt.

2. To run mybatch.wbt everytime win95 starts, simply place the mybatch.wbt file (or just a shortcut to it) in the:

   c:\windows\desktop\start menu\programs\startup 
   

   subdirectory.

Other, less desirable, solutions:

1. You could add a WinBatch script to your Novell login script, such as:

           start /w xxx.exe 
   

   However, putting a program to run in the login script doesn't work too well. It will run very slowly.
2. You could try putting the filename in the WINSTART.BAT file. If you are not familiar with this - it is like a autoexec.bat for windows. It loads BEFORE you would get the NOVELL login prompt. For example, you could use it to load drivers for an application.
3. Depending on your app, you could do the following in the login script:
   Copy the EXE to the user's start menu. But this STILL won't execute before the login screen.

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Article ID:   W13327

Filename:   Get a program to execute when windows 95 starts.txt