Copyright: Copyright 1997 Cool Bay Software


Introduction

Auto Start Manager extends the functionality of the Windows StartUp folder by giving the ability to conditionally start programs at startup time.

Programs added to the Windows StartUp folder are run every time Windows starts. Sometimes it is useful to have additional control - for example, to backup important files the first time the machine boots each week. By defining programs to the Auto Start Manager instead of the Windows StartUp folder, you gain the ability to define the conditions under which the program is started.

Auto Start Manager is not a scheduler. The program is itself called from the StartUp folder when Windows is starting. It then simply evaluates the defined time and configuration dependent conditions on each of the defined programs, before deciding which programs to start. Tests are provided for day of week, time of day, time elapsed since last run, start configuration, and power mode (if APM installed).

Sub-topics

Installing/Uninstalling

Whats New

Updates

Registration


What's new

v1.1	release planned  20-Aug-97

now runs on NT 4.0

       	add testing on time of day

       	add testing on userid

       	start directory dialog now includes network neighborhood

       	validate defined programs are executable

       	file open dialog mask includes all executables

       	icon was not changing if program changed

       	fix load icon error for program without icons (e.g. ms-dos applications)

       	fix bug which allowed duplicate on name of first item

       	documentation and help file included

v1.0	released  06-Aug-1997


Registration

Auto Start Manager may be evaluated for 30 days. After this time you must register the program if you wish to keep using it. The registration fee is $10. Credit card registration is possible by following the registration link on the home page http://indigo.ie/~bryan/coolbay.htm. Alternatively, you can send cash of $10, or the approximate equivalent in your local currency to me at the address below. No cheques please - bank charges would simply exceed the value of the cheque!

Brendan Ryan

38 Watson Road

Killiney

County Dublin

Republic of Ireland


Contents
Auto Start Manager v1.1

Contents

Introduction

Installing/Uninstalling

What's New

Updates

Registration

Main Screen

Drag & Drop

Popup Menu

Main Menu

Toolbar

Program Definition

Frequency

Statistics


Main Screen

When you start Auto Start Manager you will be presented with the following screen. This is the main application screen, showing all the programs defined to the Auto Start Manager, with an overview of the conditions associated with each program. From this screen you can create, edit and delete entries.

Display Columns

The columns displayed here are as follows:

Name	name assigned to the defined item. New items will by default be allocated the name of the module executed (with a numeric suffix if this name is already in use). You can rename the item by selecting it and then single clicking it, or by right clicking and choosing "Rename" from the popup menu. This name can contain any meaningful text that you wish, but must be unique.

Command	displays the module name to execute. Any command line parameters are not displayed here.

Configuration	if the program is only to be run for a specific start configuration, then the name of the configuration will be displayed here. If this column is blank, then the program applies to all configurations.

Power	displays the power status (mains/battery) for which this program should be run. For desktop machines, or if the program should be run irrespective of  battery or mains operation, this column will display "Always".

Options	gives an indication that additional restrictions apply. Any combination of the following texts may be displayed.

•	if the program should only run on certain days of the week, then the text "Day" is displayed.

•	if the program should only run if starting between specific times of day, then "Time" is displayed.

•	if execution depends on when the program was last executed (e.g. once per day), then "Freq" is displayed.

•	if execution depends on the logged on user, then "User" is displayed.

Result	displays the result of the last condition test or execution. Possible values displayed here are:

•	"OK" - execution performed without errors

•	"SKIP" - condition tests not passed - see statistics display for exact reason.

•	"ERROR" - error occurred start the program - see statistics panel for more details.

Sub-topics

Drag & Drop Support

Popup Menu

Main Menu

Toolbar Buttons


Drag & Drop Support

If you drop one or more executables onto the main screen (i.e. drag a program from explorer window to the Auto Start Manager main window), then a program item will be automatically defined for the dropped files. This is a convenient way of adding new items.


Popup Menu

The name field has a popup menu accessed by right clicking on an item. The menu items are as follows.

Edit	calls the program definition dialog for the selected item. Same as menu Edit|Properties

Test	evaluates the conditions defined for this item, and displays whether the conditions are satisfied, or have failed.

Run	executes (launches) the program defined in this item immediately. This bypasses the conditional tests.

Copy	duplicates this item, and jumps to the program definition dialog for the copy. Same as menu Edit|Copy.

Delete	deletes the selected item. Same as menu Edit|Delete.

Rename	enters edit mode on the name field. Allows you to place any meaningful name that you want on the selected item. The new name must be unique - if it is not, then when you press enter the old name will be restored.


Main Menu

File Menu

Save	saves the program definitions, and remains in the Auto Start Manager

Exit	exits the application. If any changes were made, a dialog box will ask you if you want the changes saved or not.

Edit Menu

Undelete	allows the recovery of deleted program definitions. Items deleted during the current program execution can be undeleted any time before exiting the program. Undeletion occurs in LIFO (last in first out) order.

New	creates a new blank entry and switches to the program definition screen. If you exit the program definition screen using the cancel button, then no new item is created.

Copy	creates a copy of the currently selected item, and switches to the program definition screen with this copy. If you exit the program definition screen using the cancel button, then no copy item is created.

Properties	switches to the program definition screen for the selected item. Here you may modify the program definition, or the conditions associated with this item.

Options Menu

Splash Screen	if checked, the Cool Bay splash screen will be displayed when the program is starting up. Unregistered versions will have this feature permanently checked after the 30 day trial period has elapsed.

Auto Run	if this item is checked, then on the first time Auto Start Manager is run during the current Windows session, it will evaluate the conditions for each program defined to it, and execute those whose condition are satisfied. On completion of this, the program will terminate automatically.  If this option is not checked, or if it is not the first time the program is run in the current Windows session, Auto Start Manager will simply display the main screen when called. For normal operation this option should be set, and Auto Start Manager should be included in the Windows StartUp folder. Unregistered versions will have this feature permanently disabled after the 30 day trial period has elapsed.

Registration…	displays the registration dialog screen where your registration name and key can be entered. The registration key is an eight digit number that will be emailed to you on receipt of your registration.

Help Menu

About…	display the About dialog box. This displays the current start configuration and power mode in addition to the program version number and registration details.


Program Definition

Use the program definition dialog to define the execution parameters, the conditions for selection, and to view the test/execution results. The program tab is shown below, where the execution parameters and the configuration conditions are defined.

The fields on this screen are described below.

Program Group

Defines the parameters required to start the program.

Program	specifies the program, complete with path name, to be run. Note that an executable (exe, com, bat, pif) must be defined here. If the specified program is not an executable, then an error message will be issued at run time. Quotes are not required in this definition, even if the program or path names include blanks.

The Browse… button beside this field brings up the standard file open dialog which can be used to identify the program without having to type the full pathname.

Parameters	specify any command line parameters required for the program. This field is normally left blank.

Start in	specify the start directory for the program. This will default to the directory containing the specified program. Modify directly, or use the Browse… button to call a directory dialog from which the required directory can be selected.

Run Style	use to specify the window size when the program starts. Valid styles are Normal, Minimised, and Maximised. Not all Windows applications react to this setting.

Configuration Group

Define optional testing on hardware configuration and power mode.

Configuration	if the program should start irrespective of the start (hardware) configuration then set the check box for "All configurations", otherwise uncheck this and select the specific configuration for which this program should be started. When a specific configuration is specified, then this program will only be started when Windows is booted using the specified configuration.

If you want the program to start for more than one, but not for all configurations, then simply duplicate the definition specifying different configurations in each copy.

Users	if the program should start irrespective of the logon user (if any) then set the check box for "All users", otherwise uncheck this and select the specific user for which this program should be started. When a specific user is specified, then this program will only be started when Windows the specified user logs on during boot processing.

If you want the program to start for more than one, but not for all users, then simply duplicate the definition specifying different users in each copy.

Note the this feature will only be effective if the different users share their desktop settings. In Windows NT this is not normally the case. If the desktop is not shared, then each user must define their own list of program to start.

Power State	if your computer is equipped with Advance Power Management (APM), then these radio buttons are used to define the power mode for which the program should be started. The default value is "Always", which means that the program should start irrespective of whether running on mains or battery power.

If APM is not installed, then these buttons are disabled (greyed out).

Sub-topics

Frequency

Statistics


Toolbar Buttons

The toolbar buttons are as follows:

Create a new program entry - same as menu Edit|New

Create a copy of the selected item - same as menu Edit|Copy

Delete the selected item - same as menu Edit|Delete

Edit the selected item - same as menu Edit|Properties

Display large icons

Display small icons

Display in list mode

Display in report style (default)

Start all programs which meet their conditions now!

Display Help "About" screen - same as menu Help|About


Frequency Definition

The frequency tab on the program definition dialog allows tests based on time dependent conditions.

Days of Week

By default "Run all days" is checked. If you wish the program to run only on specific days of the week, then uncheck this, and select the required day or days in the Days of Week group box.

Time of Day

By default "Run all times" is checked. If you wish the program to run only if Windows is starting at a certain time of day, then uncheck this box, and define the time from and to during which the program should be started. Use the 24 hour clock to define the times. Valid times are from 00:00 - 24:00.

Frequency

By default "Run every startup" is checked. If you want a minimum time to have elapsed  between one execution of a program and the next - for example "only run this once per day", then uncheck the run every startup box, and set the desired minimum interval between executions.

When calculating the interval, the minimum time is said to have elapsed when the start of the specified interval has elapsed. By this is meant an interval of, for example, 1 day will be said to be elapsed once 0:00 hours of the next day arrives. This would mean for example, if the interval is set at 1 day, and the program is run at 23:00 (11pm), then if the next Windows start is at midnight, then the program will be executed again. If you really don't want the execution to occur for at least 24 hours, then specify an interval of 24 hours instead of 1 day.

Note also that these tests only apply to the last time the program was started by the Auto Start Manager. Executions started externally are not counted!.


Statistics

The last tab on the program definition dialog is the Statistics tab. This simply shows the date & time of the last test and execution of the program, along with the result of the last test or the last execution (if the test was successful).


Installing
Installing/Uninstalling

Run setup.exe included in the distribution package to install Auto Start Manager. To uninstall, use the Add/Remove Programs option from the Windows control panel.


Updates

The latest version of Auto Start Manager can be found at the home page.

http://indigo.ie/~bryan/coolbay.htm

Please send any queries, comments or suggestions to bryan@indigo.ie.  Your input is always welcome.


CB_times
By default "Run all times" is checked. If you wish the program to run only if Windows is starting at a certain time of day, then uncheck this box, and define the time from and to during which the program should be started. Use the 24 hour clock to define the times. Valid times are from 00:00 - 24:00.


CB_days
By default "Run every day" is checked. If you wish the program to run only on specific days of the week, then uncheck this, and select the required day or days in the Days of Week group box.


CB_freq
By default "Run every startup" is checked. If you want a minimum time to have elapsed  between one execution of a program and the next - for example "only run this once per day", then uncheck the run every startup box, and set the desired minimum interval between executions. A minimum of zero is the same as run every time.


TabFreq
The frequency tab on the program definition dialog allows tests based on time dependent conditions. This is used to prevent the program being started at each Windows start.


TabStat
The last tab on the program definition dialog is the Statistics tab. This simply shows the date & time of the last test and execution of the program, along with the result of the last test or the last execution (if the test was successful).


TabProg
Use the program definition dialog to define the execution parameters, the conditions for selection, and to view the test/execution results.


Pgm
specifies the program, complete with path name, to be run. Note that an executable (exe, com, bat, pif) must be defined here. If the specified program is not an executable, then an error message will be issued at run time. Quotes are not required in this definition, even if the program or path names include blanks.


BTN1
The Browse... button brings up the standard file open dialog which can be used to identify the program without having to type the full pathname.


PgmParm
specify any command line parameters required for the program. This field is normally left blank.


PgmStart
specify the start directory for the program. This will default to the directory containing the specified program. Modify directly, or use the Browse… button to call a directory dialog from which the required directory can be selected.


PgmRun
use to specify the window size when the program starts. Valid styles are Normal, Minimised, and Maximised. Not all Windows applications react to this setting.


PgmConf
if the program should start irrespective of the start (hardware) configuration then set the check box for "All configurations", otherwise uncheck this and select the specific configuration for which this program should be started. When a specific configuration is specified, then this program will only be started when Windows is booted using the specified configuration.


PgmUser
if the program should start irrespective of the logon user (if any) then set the check box for "All users", otherwise uncheck this and select the specific user for which this program should be started. When a specific user is specified, then this program will only be started when Windows the specified user logs on during boot processing.


PgmPower
if your computer is equipped with Advance Power Management (APM), then these radio buttons are used to define the power mode for which the program should be started. The default value is "Always", which means that the program should start irrespective of whether running on mains or battery power.

If your computer does not have Power Management installed, then this options is disabled.