Hiding XP (like a KIOSK) 2

[evolive]

Hello,

I'm wondering if MS provides some sort of special too/software so that I can run an application on top of winxp pro and hide the os from the user.

In another words, I want to run a program and not let the user know that I am using a microsoft os. (almost like a kiosk)

thanks!

 

[gdvissch]

Have you already looked at this?

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sharedaccess/default.mspx

G.

 

[evolive]

yes i've used this before. i've done most of the features on that software through the registry settings.

here's the scenario

1. selling a pc with a specific application on top of windows xp pro.
2. customizing windows through registry, trying to avoid using any software. this is to prevent the user from knowing that i have windows underneath the application.
3. i've sort of figured out a way to make windows ask for a key through registry but there must be a better way to streamline the process (especially the activation)
4. i've just read about sysprep and it seems i can do this through norton ghost anyhow
5. make an image of the ideal system.

in a sense i want it to be like a kiosk but not running IE.
(iexplore -k

http://www.blahblah.com)

whelp... thanks for the toolkit though

 

[linney]

Not sure what you are seeking but have a look at these threads if you don't want the Explorer Shell running.

Changing the shell
thread779-613805

regedit.exe instead of Explorer.exe
thread779-1085607

 

[evolive]

changing the shell... that's seems to solve a lot of problems. i tried it out and yes it got rid of purty much a lot of the windowy stuff. CAD is still functioning but i can remap the keys

would you happened to the command for telling a program where to startup?

similar to shortcut link where it has the "target" and the "start in" (i need to be able to put that "start in" stuff in the restry...

thanks!

 

[linney]

Changing the Shell is not something I am really familiar with. As a guess I would imagine that without Explorer (and browsing) you are limited to the program that is running as the Shell?

You could look at the Startup locations in the Registry (if they are loading and functioning)and see what you can do there. Sorry, this is not something I have experience with.

Windows XP Professional starts logon scripts, startup programs, and services referenced in these registry subkeys and folder locations:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Runonce
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\Explorer\Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
%systemdrive%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
%systemdrive%\Documents and Settings\username\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

 

[evolive]

when you look at a shortcut it shows you the option of "Start in" I need to be able to do such thing in the registry

im somewhat familary with the registry\blahblah\run

i put in the exectuable in there but NEED to inclue that "start in"

thanks!!!

unfortunately none of my registry stuff has anythign remotely related to the 'start in'

 

[linney]

Anything in this?

Shortcuts now keeping 'Target' a secret??
thread779-1268860

 

[DTracy]

I remember that you used to be able to start Windows 95/98 with a special parameter "Win /whatever and my program" and it would start to my program or a black screen. I only needed it on a single application back in 1998 so I don't remember details. Maybe XP is the same way deep down inside--perhaps in the "run" registry key or the autoexec.nt file. Just a thought.

 

[evolive]

Linney, no luck on that thread... it's rahter off topic. my apoligies for not being concise

dtracy.

im not sure what it was like back in win98 but from what you were describing it sounds like what i want to do. linney already pointed me to the registry where i can replace the shell with my program (i didn't write). the program's .exe unfortunately isn't enough when i put an entry into the registry

shell="c:\program files\blah\blah.exe"

it doesn't work as the program crashes saying one o fthe files is missing but i know it's there because when i load up explorer again and run the program it works... so i know it's a matter of putting a starting path or the "start in" into the shell line

kind of like:
shell="c:\program files\blah\blah.exe" -startin="c:\program files\blah"

i've edited the "autoexec.bat" to include path=c:\program files\blah" and restarted windows and the program still crashes.

help? thanks!

 

[DTracy]

It's not the autoexec.bat, it's the autoexec.nt, located in the c:\windows\system32 folder.

 

[evolive]

Hello,

not exactly sure what to do with the autoexec.nt file.... i looked at some of the commands in there and tried the LH stuff

lh c:\program files\blah\blah.exe

no luck

 

[evolive]

well i guess i got it to work in a very cheap and pathetic way... but if someone else can come up with something... great..

does not work:
shell="c:\program files\blah\blah.exe"
because blah.exe has to be run at that directory because of the way the program was made... if you run it at c:\ then it'll look for files in c:\ one would think that you are just calling out the .exe file from that directory and it would work... but nope

does not work 2:
since we know that a link file has the "start in" section i decided to put it in the shell= line. the lnk file of course calls out the .exe
shell="c:\program files\blah\blah.lnk
this did not work at all and it just went straight to loading the explorer shell.

does work 3:
blah.bat with the line pointing to the .exe
c:\program files\blah\blah.exe

does work:
blah.bat calling out the link file

c:\program files\blah.lnk

which we know that the lnk calls out the .exe

and for some odd reason... this works...
ha!

shell="c:\blahblah\blah.bat"

which calls out the .lnk which points to the .exe...

what a small world yeah... this methods sucks =|

 

[Stevehewitt]

I know it not within the OS, but I recently had to get IE to run in that sort of way for a touchscreen PC that we wanted to use as an interface to our website only.

After lots of investigate, we opted to use SiteKiosk (

http://www.sitekiosk.com).

It's not free, but it's not badly priced. Eval is about I think as well.




Steve.

"They have the internet on computers now!" - Homer Simpson