I'd developed this module which facilitates the way to add or remove an external application to Windows startup trhough registry methodology.
It covers the startup scope (Run/RunOnce), the user scope (Current User/All Users), the registry scope (x86/x64) and also is capable to add a bypass for "Secure mode" windows logon.
An example usage:
WinStartupUtil.Add(UserScope.CurrentUser, StartupScope.Run, RegistryScope.System32, title:="Application Title", filePath:="C:\Application.exe", arguments:="/Arg1", secureModeByPass:=True) WinStartupUtil.Remove(UserScope.CurrentUser, StartupScope.Run, RegistryScope.System32, title:="Application Title", throwOnMissingValue:=True)
The source-code:
' *********************************************************************** ' Author : Elektro ' Modified : 12-October-2015 ' *********************************************************************** ' <copyright file="WinStartupUtil.vb" company="Elektro Studios"> ' Copyright (c) Elektro Studios. All rights reserved. ' </copyright> ' *********************************************************************** #Region " Option Statements " Option Explicit On Option Strict On Option Infer Off #End Region #Region " Imports " Imports System Imports Microsoft.Win32 #End Region #Region " WinStartup Util " ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ''' <summary> ''' Adds or removes an application from Windows Startup. ''' </summary> ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Public Module WinStartupUtil #Region " Constants " ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ''' <summary> ''' The 'Run' registry subkey path. ''' </summary> ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Public Const RunSubKeyPath As String = "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run" ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ''' <summary> ''' The 'Run' registry subkey path for x86 appications on x64 operating system. ''' </summary> ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Public Const RunSubKeyPathSysWow64 As String = "Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run" ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ''' <summary> ''' The 'RunOnce' registry subkey path. ''' </summary> ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Public Const RunOnceSubKeyPath As String = "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce" ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ''' <summary> ''' The 'RunOnce' registry subkey path for x86 appications on x64 operating system. ''' </summary> ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Public Const RunOnceSubKeyPathSysWow64 As String = "Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce" #End Region #Region " Enumerations " ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ''' <summary> ''' Specifies an user scope. ''' </summary> ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Public Enum UserScope As Integer ''' <summary> ''' 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER' root key. ''' </summary> CurrentUser = &H1 ''' <summary> ''' 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE' root key. ''' </summary> AllUsers = &H2 End Enum ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ''' <summary> ''' Specifies a Startup scope. ''' </summary> ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Public Enum StartupScope As Integer ''' <summary> ''' 'Run' registry subkey. ''' </summary> Run = &H1 ''' <summary> ''' 'RunOnce' registry subkey. ''' </summary> RunOnce = &H2 End Enum ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ''' <summary> ''' Specifies a registry scope. ''' </summary> ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Public Enum RegistryScope As Integer ''' <summary> ''' 'System32' registry subkey. ''' </summary> System32 = &H1 ''' <summary> ''' 'SysWow64' registry subkey. ''' </summary> SysWow64 = &H2 End Enum #End Region #Region " Public Methods " ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ''' <summary> ''' Adds an application to Windows Startup. ''' </summary> ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ''' <param name="userScope"> ''' The user scope. ''' </param> ''' ''' <param name="startupScope"> ''' The startup scope. ''' </param> ''' ''' <param name="registryScope"> ''' The registry key scope. ''' </param> ''' ''' <param name="title"> ''' The registry entry title. ''' </param> ''' ''' <param name="filePath"> ''' The application file path. ''' </param> ''' ''' <param name="secureModeByPass"> ''' If set to <see langword="True"/>, the file is ran even when the user logs into 'Secure Mode' on Windows. ''' </param> ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ''' <exception cref="System.ArgumentNullException"> ''' title or filePath ''' </exception> ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <DebuggerHidden> <DebuggerStepThrough> Public Sub Add(ByVal userScope As UserScope, ByVal startupScope As StartupScope, ByVal registryScope As RegistryScope, ByVal title As String, ByVal filePath As String, Optional ByVal arguments As String = "", Optional secureModeByPass As Boolean = False) If String.IsNullOrEmpty(title) Then Throw New ArgumentNullException(paramName:="title") ElseIf String.IsNullOrEmpty(filePath) Then Throw New ArgumentNullException(paramName:="filePath") Else If secureModeByPass Then title = title.TrimStart("*"c).Insert(0, "*") End If Dim regKey As RegistryKey = Nothing Try regKey = WinStartupUtil.GetRootKey(userScope).OpenSubKey(GetSubKeyPath(startupScope, registryScope), writable:=True) regKey.SetValue(title, String.Format(""""" ", filePath, arguments), RegistryValueKind.String) Catch ex As Exception Throw Finally If regKey IsNot Nothing Then regKey.Close() End If End Try End If End Sub ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ''' <summary> ''' Removes an application from Windows Startup. ''' </summary> ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ''' <param name="userScope"> ''' The user scope. ''' </param> ''' ''' <param name="startupScope"> ''' The startup scope. ''' </param> ''' ''' <param name="registryScope"> ''' The registry scope. ''' </param> ''' ''' <param name="title"> ''' The registry entry to find. ''' </param> ''' ''' <param name="throwOnMissingValue"> ''' if set to <see langword="true"/>, throws an exception on missing value. ''' </param> ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ''' <exception cref="System.ArgumentNullException"> ''' title ''' </exception> ''' ''' <exception cref="System.ArgumentException"> ''' Registry value not found.;title ''' </exception> ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <DebuggerHidden> <DebuggerStepThrough> Friend Sub Remove(ByVal userScope As UserScope, ByVal startupScope As StartupScope, ByVal registryScope As RegistryScope, ByVal title As String, Optional ByVal throwOnMissingValue As Boolean = False) If String.IsNullOrEmpty(title) Then Throw New ArgumentNullException(paramName:="title") Else Dim valueName As String = String.Empty Dim regKey As RegistryKey = Nothing Try regKey = WinStartupUtil.GetRootKey(userScope).OpenSubKey(GetSubKeyPath(startupScope, registryScope), writable:=True) If (regKey.GetValue(title, defaultValue:=Nothing) IsNot Nothing) Then valueName = title ElseIf (regKey.GetValue(title.TrimStart("*"c).Insert(0, "*"), defaultValue:=Nothing) IsNot Nothing) Then valueName = title.TrimStart("*"c).Insert(0, "*") ElseIf throwOnMissingValue Then Throw New ArgumentException(paramName:="title", message:="Registry value not found.") End If regKey.DeleteValue(valueName, throwOnMissingValue) Catch ex As Exception Throw Finally If regKey IsNot Nothing Then regKey.Close() End If End Try End If End Sub #End Region #Region " Private Methods " ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ''' <summary> ''' Gets a <see cref="RegistryKey"/> instance of the specified root key. ''' </summary> ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ''' <param name="userScope"> ''' The user scope. ''' </param> ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ''' <returns> ''' A <see cref="RegistryKey"/> instance of the specified root key. ''' </returns> ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ''' <exception cref="System.ArgumentException"> ''' Invalid enumeration value.;userScope ''' </exception> ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <DebuggerHidden> <DebuggerStepThrough> Private Function GetRootKey(ByVal userScope As UserScope) As RegistryKey Select Case userScope Case WinStartupUtil.UserScope.CurrentUser Return Registry.CurrentUser Case WinStartupUtil.UserScope.AllUsers Return Registry.LocalMachine Case Else Throw New ArgumentException("Invalid enumeration value.", "userScope") End Select ' userScope End Function ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ''' <summary> ''' Gets the proper registry subkey path from the parameters criteria. ''' </summary> ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ''' <param name="startupScope"> ''' The startup scope. ''' </param> ''' ''' <param name="registryScope"> ''' The registry key scope. ''' </param> ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ''' <returns> ''' The registry subkey path. ''' </returns> ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ''' <exception cref="System.ArgumentException"> ''' Invalid enumeration value.;startupScope or ''' Invalid enumeration value.;registryScope ''' </exception> ''' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <DebuggerHidden> <DebuggerStepThrough> Private Function GetSubKeyPath(ByVal startupScope As StartupScope, ByVal registryScope As RegistryScope) As String Select Case registryScope Case WinStartupUtil.RegistryScope.System32 Select Case startupScope Case WinStartupUtil.StartupScope.Run Return WinStartupUtil.RunSubKeyPath Case WinStartupUtil.StartupScope.RunOnce Return WinStartupUtil.RunOnceSubKeyPath Case Else Throw New ArgumentException("Invalid enumeration value.", "startupScope") End Select ' startupScope Case WinStartupUtil.RegistryScope.SysWow64 Select Case startupScope Case WinStartupUtil.StartupScope.Run Return WinStartupUtil.RunSubKeyPathSysWow64 Case WinStartupUtil.StartupScope.RunOnce Return WinStartupUtil.RunOnceSubKeyPathSysWow64 Case Else Throw New ArgumentException("Invalid enumeration value.", "startupScope") End Select ' startupScope Case Else Throw New ArgumentException("Invalid enumeration value.", "registryScope") End Select ' registryScope End Function #End Region End Module #End Region
