Changing shell in WinXP

[Guest eljainc]

Hello,

 

Can someone provide some assistance on the modification of the shell

in WinXP (either home or Pro)? In our case it is Win XP Pro.

 

We are currently using a batch file to replace explorer.exe as the

shell, by the following key in registry

 

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\shell

 

However, what is happening is that Windows takes 30 seconds to timeout

the execution of the batch file before the desktop becomes active.

 

In the batch file, I have to do something like:

 

ping localhost -n 30 > nul

 

to give a 30 second delay. This throws off the timing of everything

else in the batch file to run.

 

 

I spoke with a Microsoft enginner and he said that the explorer.exe

application raised an event that signals to Windows that the system is

finally up and running.

 

 

Does anyone have documentation on this event/signal that is raised?

 

Thanks for any help.

[Guest Newbie Coder]

Re: Changing shell in WinXP

 

Eljainc,

 

Your spyware/virus scanners are going to pick this up as suspicious & may try to delete

it. Many trojans plug into WinLogon, remember?

 

If you use Sophos/McCrappy/AVG antivirus you won't have to worry about being detected as

they couldn't even detect the simplest of items, but applications like Spybot/HijackThis

will detect it & then your days are numbered

 

--

Newbie Coder

(It's just a name)

 

 

"eljainc" <eljainc@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message

news:b898b109-594d-4b50-9b00-adb2ed759765@h11g2000prf.googlegroups.com...

> Hello,

>

> Can someone provide some assistance on the modification of the shell

> in WinXP (either home or Pro)? In our case it is Win XP Pro.

>

> We are currently using a batch file to replace explorer.exe as the

> shell, by the following key in registry

>

> HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\shell

>

> However, what is happening is that Windows takes 30 seconds to timeout

> the execution of the batch file before the desktop becomes active.

>

> In the batch file, I have to do something like:

>

> ping localhost -n 30 > nul

>

> to give a 30 second delay. This throws off the timing of everything

> else in the batch file to run.

>

>

> I spoke with a Microsoft enginner and he said that the explorer.exe

> application raised an event that signals to Windows that the system is

> finally up and running.

>

>

> Does anyone have documentation on this event/signal that is raised?

>

> Thanks for any help.

[Guest eljainc]

Re: Changing shell in WinXP

 

I never said anything about this machine connecting to the internet

nor spyware/virus scanners being installed.

This machine is more or less "locked down" so that the end user cannot

install applications.

 

There are shells out there like Litestep, Xoblite, or Geoshell. I need

the documentation on how to change

the shell to a batch file. Perhaps I could compile it to an EXE? I

really think that these shells have an API call or set an event to

tell windows that the system is up and running, thus bypassing the 30

second timeout.

 

Mike

 

 

>

> Your spyware/virus scanners are going to pick this up as suspicious & may try to delete

> it. Many trojans plug into WinLogon, remember?

>

> If you use Sophos/McCrappy/AVG antivirus you won't have to worry about being detected as

> they couldn't even detect the simplest of items, but applications like Spybot/HijackThis

> will detect it & then your days are numbered