Autorun as admin blocked after Windows 8.1 August Update

[oomek]

After the last update from August there is no way to autorun an app through the registry in Windows 8.1. Do you have any idea how to overcome that limitation?

Edited August 28, 2014 by oomek

[MagicAndre1981]

what do you mean with registry? Use the old Task Scheduler Trick which still works fine:

 

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=135472

[oomek]

By saying to autorun through the registry I meant

HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run or HKLM\..\Run

I thought such an obvious thing doesn't need explaining.

Also I'm aware of the old TaskScheduler trick, but the side effect of that is a flash of a command prompt window which for a person with an OCD is not fully acceptable

Edited August 28, 2014 by oomek

[MagicAndre1981]

I don't see a cmd. The normal Run entries still work for me and tool which require admin rights are always blocked since Vista.

[jaclaz]

Also I'm aware of the old TaskScheduler trick, but the side effect of that is a flash of a command prompt window which for a person with an OCD is not fully acceptable 

Wouldn't be more important to get cured for the OCD?

 

Can you post the specific command line that produces the "command prompt windows flashing" when added to SCHTASKS?

 

If this is confirmed, you can use any among the various different tools that "hide" that "command prompt window flashing", though I haven't tested any of them on 8/8.1 there are at first sight no reasons for them to not work.

 

jaclaz

[NoelC]

This just makes me all the more glad I've disabled UAC.

 

And jaclaz, there's nothing wrong with a bit of healthy OCD.  It's not a disease, it's what should be considered normal.  It's all the sloppy folks who need to be cured. 

 

-Noel

[jaclaz]

 

 It's not a disease, it's what should be considered normal.  

 

 

Sure , but if the OCD actually causes "fits" when (if) a black window flashes briefly, it sounds as being at a rather preoccupying level.

 

jaclaz

[NoelC]

Anyone with computer experience knows that the flashing CMD window is just the tip of the iceberg.  A Windows system is barely functional when it looks perfect.  If it looks a bit off, it is close to catastrophic failure.

 

"Oi!  Command Window Right Ahead, Captain!"

 

-Noel

[oomek]

I don't see a cmd. The normal Run entries still work for me and tool which require admin rights are always blocked since Vista.

 

Since schtasks.exe is a console application I don't see a reason why you shouldn't see a CMD box. If you don't see that though it means you are doing it wrong

 

And btw, I like my OCD, or as I call it, a chronic attention to detail.

[xpclient]

There is also a GUI tool called Task Scheduler which doesn't show console windows.  If the Task Scheduler's crappy and slow UI is annoying you, use a tool like Startup Unblocker: http://www.jimmah.com/vista/content.aspx?id=2 which uses the Task Scheduler API to create the Task.

[jaclaz]

Since schtasks.exe is a console application I don't see a reason why you shouldn't see a CMD box. If you don't see that though it means you are doing it wrong

 

And btw, I like my OCD, or as I call it, a chronic attention to detail.

Yep , but usually people that are allergic to command prompt window know how to hide it, as said there are tens of utilities that can have it hidden, but also making a batch and "wrapping it" in a .vbs should do, like:

http://serverfault.com/questions/522255/how-to-prevent-schtasks-on-windows-7-from-showing-the-command-prompt-after-execu

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/78097-release-cmdhideexe/

etc.

What I personally have on all my systems is nircmd (that can do that and much more):

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/nircmd.html

but as said you will have to check if these programs work on your version of windows.

jaclaz

[oomek]

I know how to hide it, but wrapping it into an installer is firstly to intrusive to the end user, secondly not always foolproof. Since the last Windows update my app needs an admin rights, can't do much about it as the on screen keyboard won't receive clicks when I call mouse_event or SendInput in C# with standard privileges.

[NoelC]

Do you know what update, specifically, changed Windows' behavior and make life difficult for your application?

 

-Noel

[oomek]

Most likely that recent cummulative August update blocked the autostart of the apps with admin privileges, so I will have to go through that list one by one. I've only identified the one which adds restrictions to the on screen keyboard. It's KB2973201 but those files have been updated again in another update so I had to uninstall all the updates which came out after that one.

Edited August 30, 2014 by oomek