How to Configure the Registry to Run an Application at Startup (Windows CE 5.0)

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You can add an application to your OS design and then configure the registry to run the application when your run-time image boots.

By doing so, you can decrease the amount of time involved in debugging an application. Otherwise, after your run-time image boots, you must manually load and run the application on your target device.

Note   This procedure requires you to have already created an application. For information about creating and building an application in the context of using Platform Builder with a CEPC, see Tutorial: Building a Run-Time Image for a CEPC.

To track your progress, select the check box next to each step.

  Step Topic
1. Open an existing OS design, or create a new one, and then build and download the run-time image to a target device. How to Use the IDE to Create, Customize, and Build a Run-Time Image
2. Use the Remote Registry Editor to discover the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Init launch numbers for each .exe file that runs on the target device at startup.

To run your application at startup, assign launch numbers to your application's .exe files in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Init section of the registry of the target device.

  • Connect to your target device using the Remote Registry Editor.

    If the connection fails, see Configuring the Connection to a Target Device Using Platform Manager.

  • In the Windows CE Remote Registry Editor window, expand the Default Device node, then the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE node, and then the Init node.

  • In the right pane, in the Name column, note the launch number for each application.

    These numbers use the launchnn format, where nn is the launch number.

 Opening Remote Registry Editor

Connecting to a Target Device with a Remote Tool
3. Add the application to your OS design as a project. Adding an Existing Project to an OS Design
4. Create a registry entry in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Init section of the Project.reg file for your application. Configuring a Registry File to Run an Application at Startup
5. Build the changed Catalog items in your OS design. Building a Run-Time Image

Building a Selected Project
6. Configure a connection between your development workstation and your target device.
Note   Debugging is not necessary at this point.

If your target device is a CEPC, boot your run-time image on the CEPC.

For more information, see How to Configure and Download a Run-Time Image to a CEPC.

If your target device is the Emulator, download your run-time image to the Emulator.

For more information, see Downloading a Run-Time Image to the Emulator.

 Configuring a Connection for Downloading and Debugging
7. When the download process is complete, verify that the application launched properly on your target device.

The time required to display the OS depends on the size of the downloaded run-time image.

 Not applicable

See Also

How-to Topics | Remote Registry Editor | Registry | Creating a Project

Last updated on Thursday, February 02, 2006

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