Start program before windows loads?

[JustinJack]

Hello everybody. I've been looking everywhere on-line to figure out how to gain exclusive access to the computer resources like chkdsk /f does before system boot for a little bit before Windows loads the UI. I don't know if windows per se has a method to register a program's desire to do this, it seems like a security issue, but I've seen other programs, namely: RegServe, and Stop-Sign Anti-Virus do this for various reasons.

I am working on some software for my wife's computer-repair business. After she does a "PC Tune Up", she'll install my program on her customer's computer and use it to (among other things) record the state of the computer at that point. Running processes, start-up registry keys, installed software, average idle CPU usage with the software they want installed running, and such. Then, in the future- if they feel they need to, they can run a comparison diagnostic which will let them know what has changed. It will also (if they desire) put the computer into a pseudo-safe mode, by (first) allowing them to save and close all their programs, then it will kill all processes that weren't running at the time of the last tune-up or that aren't explicitly trusted by Microsoft and monitor them to make sure they stay killed, contact my server and ask for instructions, perform some clean-up's and restart (for big problems like that dang UPS postage-label virus out there) Maybe check file associations and such.

But I may add extra features like a complete registry restore. I know, you say "Why not let System Restore do this?" And the answer is simplicity. They will know how to use the software we install and it's in one spot with minimal clicks. It will be a menu item when Right-Clicking "My Computer" or "Computer" from the start menu with her company name. So I'd like it to be a one-stop shop within the bounds of what it can do.

So to do this, I believe I will have to do like RegServe's "Registry Defragmentation" and start before Windows locks the volume.

Also, since I know it's possible, I'd like to know how to do it so my program can CHECK to see if there's any malicious code there. I DON'T want to get into writing an anti-virus program, rather just something simple to see if everything looks as it should. Then if my tool can't help them, her customer's can bring their computer in.

Anyways, any help on this would be greatly appreciated. I'm having a heck of a time, of course, needless to say, it's all written in PB.

Thanks in advance,

Justin

[IdeasVacuum]

Sounds like a great project with lots of potential. In your description though, there does not seem to be anything listed that would need system access before Windows is loaded? I think MS are going to make such actions virtually impossible in Win8 (sounds like it will be virtually impossible to run any apps when Win8 is up!). In earlier times you would simply add a line to autoexec.bat.

I found this suggestion:
run pretty much anything before the winlogon by running a 16-bit native program (like autocheck, chkdsk) and specifying it in the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Session Manager\BootExecute
on http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/350 ... dows-loads

[Thorium]

You cant do this with PB.
Programs that do it, install a driver and set it to the first position of the list.

You can't make kernel mode applications with PureBasic, so it's not possible.
You can install it as a service and get it to launch befor the login, but windows is allready completly booted then.