running a script or app before Windows starts

  • Thread starter Thread starter JustinH
  • Start date Start date
J

JustinH

Hi

Windows is capable of scheduling the defrag or scandisk programs to run
before windows starts in order to be able to do low level operations on
the system disk before it gets protected.
Is there any way of substituting my own script or application to run in
the same way? This is a continuance of the problem of ejecting the
bootable CD. My idea is that a small app or script could run before
windows, check for the presence of a file on a separate device and if
it is present delete it, eject the CD and reboot. Hopefully the eject
should work, possibly without even the BSOD, since Windows has not yet
started and has not protected the disk yet.

Justin
 
As a follow up to the above, I found that the registry key BootExecute
(found in the various Control Sets) will cause a program to run early
in the boot process, and this is used to run chkdsk if the disks 'dirty
flag' is set, or if automatic conversion of drive from FAT to NTFS is
required. Sounds ideal as neithr of these functions will be needed for
a CD/DVD based system.
However, to dat I have not been able to get Bootxecute to run any
programs, not even chkdsk (actuall autochk) when using EWF NTLDR.
Does anyone know if this function has been removed this version of
NTLDR, and if so, how does one use the standard NTLDR with EWF.
Microdoft says that NTLDR can be used with EWF in RAM REG mode, but as
i understand it, it has to boot into normal RAM mode prior to FBA and
only becomes RAM REG by using etprep -delete.
Any help would be appreciated.

Justin
 
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