Execute Code Before Logon Screen

[mwieder]

Hi - does anyone know how to have some code executed before the logon screen appears (or even while the logon screen is up)?
thanks!

 

[mwieder]

Thanks for the excellent response - a few clarifications:
1) I cannot just add a new .exe to be run before the USERINIT in the registry string?
2) As I am a novice at Windows programming, could you check I understand what you wrote correctly:
I) I should change the registry key to refelct my .exe instead of the USERINIT
II) my .exe can just be a regular .exe that would run under Windows but it must end with by executing %WinDir%\Userinit.exe.
I will be writing my .exe in VB, so if I misunderstood you can correct me with the propoer VB calls to make. Also, I didn't totally follow why the difference between the two explorer modes is important - does it limit me in the calls I can make or require me to make certain calls?

thanks for all your help!!

 

[mwieder]

Thanks again!
IN my VB code, will I have any difficult making calls to the winsock control or editing the windows registry since this is going to be executed before a user has logged in?
thanks for your time!

 

[mwieder]

Looks good, but one small problem - I'm using home and it doesn't come with gpedit.msc - how do I do ensure network is up without using gpedit?
thanks!

 

[mwieder]

Hi - unfortunately, gpedit doesn't work in XP Home - I copied it there and from the run command it gives a "file not found" (even though it's in the system32 directory) When I click on it to launch it gives a 'sanp in failure.' Any word on where in the registry I can find the correct value to modify?
thanks!

 

[mwieder]

Could you run the sysinternals software and use gpedit to change the setting and find out what it changes? those tools aren't helpful to me since I can't run gpedit so I can't trace what is being changed.
thanks!