How can I autostart programs when Windows starts up?

Chuck a shortcut to them into the startup folder, typically:

C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp\

or you could use the registry. its at

then for the data you have a path to your program.

btw, how do you make shortcuts for programs? i figured they were similar to an ini file but i opened one in notepad and have no clue how to do it.

You can also use the program, msconfig, in XP at least. Not sure if you can add stuff, but you can at least view it there.
Um, those .lnk files are binary, but I think someone, somehow, made a gm script that can make them. Not sure how, as GM really sucks with handling any weird characters (sometimes thinks one is the end of the file).

THe *.LNK format is very simple (or at least so I've heard I've never leaned it myself) and I think it was Dr. Voodoo who made the GM thing. And msconfig has been around since win95, it edits the registry where ih8 said anyway so it's the same thing.

the lnk format made no sense so i found another way to make shortcuts. im pretty sure its the same way as im game maker because to make a lnk format file in gm would require a dll im sure. but the .url format is just regular text with a different extention. i have my c++ code for making .url shortcuts on the homepage and you can use it for files as well as for... well.... urls ;)

That was me.

That script creates real *.lnk files. Windows comes with an interpreter called wscript.exe it interprets files with the extension *.js which are renamed *.txt files. I personnaly don't know *.js (I think it's javascript) but I found an example creating a *.lnk file when I once searched the Win98 windows directory. I simply use that example and change a few strings using GM and execute the file.

Simple isn't it? :D

i stand beside myself :-| what was the example called? i have win 98 on my crappyer computer....

I don't remember what it was called but I think it was in a sub dir of the win dir with some other examples.

If you find them could you please post them?

i guess its in C:\WINDOWS\SAMPLES\WSH ? i dug around and found that with some visual basic scripts and java scripts.... i think its harder to do it in regular c++ though...