CodeItBetter Programming Another VB Programming Blog

'System & API - How to run your application at Windows Startup

Option Explicit
 
'The following code will add "NotePad" in registry in Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run.
'To run your application at startup only once add your application in registry in Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce.
'Add two Command Buttons To your Form.
'The first one is to add your application run at startup and the second one is to remove it from startup.

Public Type SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES
    nLength As Long
    lpSecurityDescriptor As Long
    bInheritHandle As Long
End Type
Declare Function RegOpenKeyEx Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegOpenKeyExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, _
    ByVal lpSubKey As String, ByVal ulOptions As Long, ByVal samDesired As Long, phkResult As Long) As Long
Declare Function RegCloseKey Lib "advapi32.dll" (ByVal hKey As Long) As Long
Declare Function RegQueryValueEx Lib "advapi32" Alias "RegQueryValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, _
    ByVal lpValueName As String, ByVal lpReserved As Long, ByRef lpType As Long, ByVal lpData As String, _
    ByRef lpcbData As Long) As Long
Declare Function RegSetValueEx Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegSetValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, _
    ByVal lpValueName As String, ByVal Reserved As Long, ByVal dwType As Long, ByVal lpData As String, _
    ByVal cbData As Long) As Long
Declare Function RegDeleteValue Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegDeleteValueA" (ByVal hKey As Long, _
    ByVal lpValueName As String) As Long
Public Enum T_KeyClasses
    HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT = &H80000000
    HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG = &H80000005
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER = &H80000001
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE = &H80000002
    HKEY_USERS = &H80000003
End Enum
Private Const SYNCHRONIZE = &H100000
Private Const STANDARD_RIGHTS_ALL = &H1F0000
Private Const KEY_QUERY_VALUE = &H1
Private Const KEY_SET_VALUE = &H2
Private Const KEY_CREATE_LINK = &H20
Private Const KEY_CREATE_SUB_KEY = &H4
Private Const KEY_ENUMERATE_SUB_KEYS = &H8
Private Const KEY_EVENT = &H1
Private Const KEY_NOTIFY = &H10
Private Const READ_CONTROL = &H20000
Private Const STANDARD_RIGHTS_READ = (READ_CONTROL)
Private Const STANDARD_RIGHTS_WRITE = (READ_CONTROL)
Private Const KEY_ALL_ACCESS = ((STANDARD_RIGHTS_ALL Or KEY_QUERY_VALUE Or KEY_SET_VALUE Or _
    KEY_CREATE_SUB_KEY Or KEY_ENUMERATE_SUB_KEYS Or KEY_NOTIFY Or KEY_CREATE_LINK) And (Not SYNCHRONIZE))
Private Const KEY_READ = ((STANDARD_RIGHTS_READ Or KEY_QUERY_VALUE Or KEY_ENUMERATE_SUB_KEYS Or _
    KEY_NOTIFY) And (Not SYNCHRONIZE))
Private Const KEY_EXECUTE = (KEY_READ)
Private Const KEY_WRITE = ((STANDARD_RIGHTS_WRITE Or KEY_SET_VALUE Or KEY_CREATE_SUB_KEY) _
    And (Not SYNCHRONIZE))
Private Const REG_BINARY = 3
Private Const REG_CREATED_NEW_KEY = &H1
Private Const REG_DWORD = 4
Private Const REG_DWORD_BIG_ENDIAN = 5
Private Const REG_DWORD_LITTLE_ENDIAN = 4
Private Const REG_EXPAND_SZ = 2
Private Const REG_FULL_RESOURCE_DESCRIPTOR = 9
Private Const REG_LINK = 6
Private Const REG_MULTI_SZ = 7
Private Const REG_NONE = 0
Private Const REG_SZ = 1
Private Const REG_NOTIFY_CHANGE_ATTRIBUTES = &H2
Private Const REG_NOTIFY_CHANGE_LAST_SET = &H4
Private Const REG_NOTIFY_CHANGE_NAME = &H1
Private Const REG_NOTIFY_CHANGE_SECURITY = &H8
Private Const REG_OPTION_BACKUP_RESTORE = 4
Private Const REG_OPTION_CREATE_LINK = 2
Private Const REG_OPTION_NON_VOLATILE = 0
Private Const REG_OPTION_RESERVED = 0
Private Const REG_OPTION_VOLATILE = 1
Private Const REG_LEGAL_CHANGE_FILTER = (REG_NOTIFY_CHANGE_NAME Or REG_NOTIFY_CHANGE_ATTRIBUTES Or _
    REG_NOTIFY_CHANGE_LAST_SET Or REG_NOTIFY_CHANGE_SECURITY)
Private Const REG_LEGAL_OPTION = (REG_OPTION_RESERVED Or REG_OPTION_NON_VOLATILE Or _
    REG_OPTION_VOLATILE Or REG_OPTION_CREATE_LINK Or REG_OPTION_BACKUP_RESTORE)
 
Public Sub DeleteValue(rClass As T_KeyClasses, Path As String, sKey As String)
    Dim hKey As Long
    Dim res As Long
    res = RegOpenKeyEx(rClass, Path, 0, KEY_ALL_ACCESS, hKey)
    res = RegDeleteValue(hKey, sKey)
    RegCloseKey hKey
End Sub
 
Public Function SetRegValue(KeyRoot As T_KeyClasses, Path As String, sKey As String, _
    NewValue As String) As Boolean
    Dim hKey As Long
    Dim KeyValType As Long
    Dim KeyValSize As Long
    Dim KeyVal As String
    Dim tmpVal As String
    Dim res As Long
    Dim i As Integer
    Dim x As Long
    res = RegOpenKeyEx(KeyRoot, Path, 0, KEY_ALL_ACCESS, hKey)
    If res <> 0 Then GoTo Errore
    tmpVal = String(1024, 0)
    KeyValSize = 1024
    res = RegQueryValueEx(hKey, sKey, 0, KeyValType, tmpVal, KeyValSize)
    Select Case res
    Case 2
        KeyValType = REG_SZ
    Case Is <> 0
        GoTo Errore
    End Select
    Select Case KeyValType
    Case REG_SZ
        tmpVal = NewValue
    Case REG_DWORD
        x = Val(NewValue)
        tmpVal = ""
        For i = 0 To 3
            tmpVal = tmpVal &  chr ( x Mod 256)
            x = x \ 256
        Next
    End Select
    KeyValSize = Len(tmpVal)
    res = RegSetValueEx(hKey, sKey, 0, KeyValType, tmpVal, KeyValSize)
    If res <> 0 Then GoTo Errore
    SetRegValue = True
    RegCloseKey hKey
    Exit Function
Errore:
    SetRegValue = False
    RegCloseKey hKey
End Function
 
Private Sub Command1_Click()
    SetRegValue HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run", "NotePad", "C:\Windows\Notepad.exe"
End Sub
 
Private Sub Command2_Click()
    DeleteValue HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run", "NotePad"
End Sub