Run events/programs at startup/shutdown

Since windows is sadly lacking in this department:

I'm looking for a utility that allows me to schedule an event/program to run at both startup and shutdown (and logon/logoff if possible) for WinXP.

Seems to me a cron like this should already be built in, but the windows scheduler doesn't allow you to launch a task to be run before it shuts-down.

I've found a few sharewares, but they're 20-30 US. I don't see why I should have to pay that much for a task that the OS should already fulfill!

Anyone seen such an animal that's freeware?

thx,


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I found two separate utils that work, except that what I want to do before I shutdown has to be done before windows disconnects from the net. Unfortunately, even with the shutdown util, it seems that the net connection is done before my script runs to update a page out there, so it doesn't work <sigh>

Wish there was a way to have windows know to run a script before it kills the net connection when it shuts down, but that may be impossible.

 

If you could live with a batch file that does things and then calls shutdown to complete the process you could certainly do what is sounds like you want.

And I agree there are some things that are so easy as to be trivial in the Unix or VAX world that are difficult-to-impossible with a Windows OS. Darn it.

 

http://www.winnetmag.com/Windows/Article/ArticleID/7223/7223.html


Hmm. its not that hard to do this.. Theres even a GUI for it. Startup, Shutdown, logon, logoff.. Everything you asked for is a GPEDIT.MSC away.. You might also need to set the scripts to run syncro, if your doing network stuff.


lacking indeed..

 

GUI - I don't need no stinking GUI. I like to TYPE stuff.

GUI is too easy and any body can do it then we be out of a job. Bah, humbug on your GUI.

LOL - thanks Joe but if memory serves me, only the Pro version has Gpedit.msc and I'm not sure which version mikenowo has.

 

good point. im going to install linux now, penguins 1 w$ndoze 0 . brb.