Using the registry for automatic startup

RyJaBy

Hi, I was wondering if anyone knew how to put your application into the msconfig startup folder using the registry. I tried using the following code but for some reason it isnt working for me. it will work when i debug, but when i publish the application it doesnt work.

Private Sub addstart()

    registrykey = CreateObject("WScript.shell")
    registrykey.RegWrite("HKEY\_CURRENT\_USER\\SOFTWARE\\MICROSOFT\\WINDOWS\\CURRENTVERSION\\RUN\\" & App, filepath)


End Sub
Private Sub removeStart()
    On Error Resume Next


    registrykey = CreateObject("WScript.shell")
    registrykey.RegDelete("HKEY\_CURRENT\_USER\\SOFTWARE\\MICROSOFT\\WINDOWS\\CURRENTVERSION\\RUN\\PEM beta.exe")
End Sub

Is there a better way to do this? Thanks

Dave Kreskowiak

RyJaBy wrote:

how to put your application into the msconfig startup folder

And just what do you mean by "msconfig startup folder"?? What do you mean by "it doesn't work"? The Run key values are all command lines that execute only when a user logs in. The name/value pair you create in the Run key must have a unique name and its value must be a valid command line that would work just as if you copied it into the Start/Run box.

A guide to posting questions on CodeProject[^]
Dave Kreskowiak Microsoft MVP Visual Developer - Visual Basic
2006, 2007, 2008
But no longer in 2009...

RyJaBy

If you go to run and you type in msconfig you will get a window,"system configuration utility" that has a tab on it called startup. In the tab is all the applications that run when your computer starts up. When it was working, it would put the name of my application into this list on the startup tab, it does that when i am debugging. When i publish the application and install it on my computer, it doesnt write its name into that list when i tell it to.

Dave Kreskowiak

That tab is just a compilation of the various startup locations that track which application should launch when a user logs in. Those include the Run keys under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKEY_CURRENT_USER as well as the shortcuts that appear in "Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup" and "Documents and Settings\\Start Menu\Programs\Startup". Your code won't work for a list of reasons. The first of which is that you have On Error Resume Next in there and it's eating your error messages. Your code should look like this:

Set wshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.shell")
wshShell.RegWrite "HKCU\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\WINDOWS\CURRENTVERSION\RUN\" & App, filepath

A guide to posting questions on CodeProject[^]
Dave Kreskowiak Microsoft MVP Visual Developer - Visual Basic
2006, 2007, 2008
But no longer in 2009...

Lost User

Remove the demon "On Error Resume Next" and you will be able to see what the problem is. Most probably, you have an access issue, the account under which the code runs must have permissions to modify the registry key.

Dave Kreskowiak

Yeah, there's a lot more wrong with his code than access permissions to the Run key... I think I found at least 5 errors in his two lines of code.

A guide to posting questions on CodeProject[^]
Dave Kreskowiak Microsoft MVP Visual Developer - Visual Basic
2006, 2007, 2008
But no longer in 2009...

RyJaBy

Is going through the registry even a good way to try to have your application run on startup? Or should I be trying to find a different way to do this. Maybe is there a way to, using code, create a shortcut in the startup folder? and would you be able to delete this shortcut using code, so the user would not have to do anything except check a box? I would like the user to be able to select an option that would cause the application to start automatically. Thanks

Dave Kreskowiak

You're already doing it. You either put the shortcut in one of the four startup locations mention in my previous post, or you don't bother with it at all.

A guide to posting questions on CodeProject[^]
Dave Kreskowiak Microsoft MVP Visual Developer - Visual Basic
2006, 2007, 2008
But no longer in 2009...

RyJaBy

Thank you very much for your help.