Run a program automatically when XP Setup loads?

[Phil_123]

Hello! This is my first post here. This site is sure a great Windows resource! The "Threads of Interest" thread helped me to find lots of things I needed!

Anyways, here's my question. Is it possible to automatically launch a program when the GUI portion of Windows XP loads?

[ml20]

not that i am aware of.

you can launch an app from the t-13 cmdlines.txt point, though

[Phil_123]

not that i am aware of.

you can launch an app from the t-13 cmdlines.txt point, though

What do you mean by "t-13 cmdlines.txt"?

I think it is possible, because Norton popped up asking me to activate when I was repairing my Windows.

[ml20]

well, any application can be run from there.

but there is no file that you can add a line that will execute a command line or program right when the GUI part starts.

the t-13 cmdlines.txt is a file called CMDLINES.TXT that you put in your OEM folder and when the GUI setup reaches the 13 minute mark, it will execute any batch file that you have entered in CMDLINEX.TXT.

Example of cmdlines.txt.

[COMMANDS]
"REGEDIT /S regtweaks.reg"
"RunOnceEx.cmd"
"makeuser.cmd"

for me, i have the CMDLINES.TXT execute the list of programs that i want to install upon first boot, and i have it add many registry tweaks, and create five user accounts.

[prathapml]

Well, I run a silently extracting EXE at the time when graphical setup starts (you know, the time just before it starts detecting and installing devices, when it says "39 minutes remaining"). And this is how:

[GuiUnattended]
    DetachedProgram="%systemroot%\PnPdrvrs.exe"
    Arguments="-y /q /r:n"

This code should be in winnt.sif - and the above lines are self-explanatory (one line is the EXE to run, the next is the switches to run it with).

Note that very few programs can be successfully run at this stage.

[Phil_123]

Well, I run a silently extracting EXE at the time when graphical setup starts (you know, the time just before it starts detecting and installing devices, when it says "39 minutes remaining"). And this is how:

[GuiUnattended]
    DetachedProgram="%systemroot%\PnPdrvrs.exe"
    Arguments="-y /q /r:n"

This code should be in winnt.sif - and the above lines are self-explanatory (one line is the EXE to run, the next is the switches to run it with).

Note that very few programs can be successfully run at this stage.

Thank you very much prathapml!