how do i instruct windows 9.x, 2000,xp to load up a win32 .exe at startup?

Put a shortcut into the startup folder. The default location (for XP) is:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

________________________________________________________________
If you want to get the best response to a question, please check out FAQ222-2244 first

'If we're supposed to work in Hex, why have we only got A fingers?'

www.essexsteam.co.uk for steam enthusiasts

Add this code to a module... To run it simply call the "ExecuteKey" function and this will add a key to the RUN section of the registry.  

Option Explicit

Const REG_SZ = 1
Const HKEY_CURRENT_USER = &H80000001

Private Declare Function RegOpenKey Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegOpenKeyA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpSubKey As String, phkResult As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function RegCloseKey Lib "advapi32.dll" (ByVal hKey As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function RegCreateKey Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegCreateKeyA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpSubKey As String, phkResult As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function RegSetValueEx Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegSetValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As String, ByVal Reserved As Long, ByVal dwType As Long, lpData As Any, ByVal cbData As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function RegQueryValueEx Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegQueryValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As String, ByVal lpReserved As Long, lpType As Long, lpData As Any, lpcbData As Long) As Long

Function SaveSettingString(hKey As Long, strPath As String, strValue As String, strData As String)

Dim hCurKey As Long
Dim lRegResult As Long
  
lRegResult = RegCreateKey(hKey, strPath, hCurKey)
lRegResult = RegSetValueEx(hCurKey, strValue, 0, REG_SZ, ByVal strData, Len(strData))
lRegResult = RegCloseKey(hCurKey)


End Function
Function ExecuteKey()

Dim sAppEXE As String

sAppEXE = App.Path & IIf(Right$(App.Path, 1) = "\", "", "\") & App.EXEName & ".exe"
  
SaveSettingString HKEY_CURRENT_USER, "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run", App.Title, Chr$(34) & sAppEXE & Chr$(34)
End Function

Hope this helps...

LF

"As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality."--Albert Einstein

wow, thanks a lot...

Hey, no problem, Thanks for the star!

LF

"As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality."--Albert Einstein

would you happen to have a visual c++ version of the startup code?

Um, why would we have C++ examples in a Visual Basic forum?