9

Enhanced Launch Utility

Introduction

The launch utility has two functions:

•Process registry based Launch items

•Process script based Launch items.

The registry based Launch items are processed before the script based Launch items.

Registry Based Launch Items

Note: The Registry based Launch items (documented here) are processed before the Script Based Launch items.

The Launch utility can use registry entries to auto-launch Windows CAB files. These CAB files exist as separate files from the main installation image, and are copied to the device using ActiveSync, or using the optional SD card. The CAB files are copied into the folder System, which is the internal Flash drive. Then, information is added to the registry, if desired, to make the CAB file auto-launch at startup.

The registry information needed is under the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\LXE\Persist. The main subkey is any text, and is a description of the file.

Then the values are added:

Value

Need

Data

Description

Type

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FileName

Required

String

Name of the CAB file, with full path (usually \System)

 

 

 

 

Installed

Required

DWORD

Starts as 0, changed to 1 when the CAB file is installed

 

 

 

 

FileCheck

Required

String

File name, with full path, of a file installed by the CAB file. If this file is not found,

 

 

 

Launch assumes the CAB file is not installed or memory was lost.

 

 

 

 

Order

Optional

DWORD

Determines sequence of installation. Order=0 is installed first, order=99 is installed

 

 

 

last.

 

 

 

 

Delay

Optional

DWORD

Delay, in seconds, after this item is installed and before the next one is installed. If the

 

 

 

install fails (or is not found) the delay does not occur.

 

 

 

 

PCMCIA

Optional

DWORD

1=power up PCMCIA/CF slot after installation

 

 

 

 

The auto-launch process is as follows.

1.The launch utility opens the registry database and reads the list of CAB files to auto-launch.

2.First it looks for FileName to see if the CAB file is present.

•If not, the registry entry is ignored.

•If it is present, and the Installed flag is not set, auto-launch makes a copy of the CAB file (since it gets deleted by installation), and runs the Microsoft utility WCELOAD to install it.

3.If the Installed flag is set, auto-launch looks for the FileCheck file.

•If it is present, the CAB file is installed and that registry entry is complete..

•If the FileCheck file is not present, memory has been lost, and the utility calls WCELOAD to reinstall the CAB file.

4.This process repeats for the next entry in the registry, until all registry entries are analyzed.

Notes:

•To force execution every time, use a FileCheck of “dummy”, which is never found, forcing the item to execute. If an AUTOEXEC.BAT file is found, the terminal runs it by default.

•For persist keys specifying .EXE or .BAT files, the executing process is started, and then Launch continues, leaving the loading process to run independently.

•For other persist keys (including .CAB files), Launch waits for the loading process to complete before continuing. This is important, for example, to ensure that a .CAB file is installed before the .EXE files from the .CAB file are run.

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