How to auto-start a program when Win 2000 Boots?

March 28, 2008 5:14 AM

Windows 2000: How can I specify a program to start up when Windows 2000 is (done) booting?

I want to use an old notebook (Compaq Armada M700) for an internet radio player running an audio line into my stereo. I am using Win 2000 and VLC Media Player for Windows. It works fine.

However, since the system is dedicated to playing the music, I would like VLC to start up whenever I start the computer.

Internet and MeFi searches tell me how to remove programs that start with Windows...I guess I'm weird, I want to add a program.

Can anyone tell me where to look for this information or how to make VLC Media Player start up whenever I start Windows?

posted by mbarryf to computers & internet (7 comments total)

Copy a shortcut to the VCL-player [via a right mouse click], and copy that shortcut to the startup-folder.
posted by ijsbrand at 5:20 AM on March 28, 2008

Rephrasing: set the machine to autologin. Put the shortcut to VLC player in Start/Programs/Startup. Anything in the Startup folder gets run automatically.

It's usually easiest to right-click drag the existing shortcut from your start menu bar or from your desktop to the Startup folder. When you release the right button, choose Copy off the pop-up menu. This will copy the shortcut, without affecting the original. If you left-click drag, the shortcut will be MOVED instead of COPIED, which you probably don't want.
posted by Malor at 6:02 AM on March 28, 2008

A few options...

1) Create a scheduled item.
Start --> Settings --> Control Panel --> Add Scheduled Task.
Make sure that "Perform this task when my computer starts" is chosen for the schedule.
In Advanced properties, make sure that "Stop the task if it runs > " tickbox is unticked.

2) Create a service.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q243486/
posted by seanyboy at 6:16 AM on March 28, 2008

The above shortcut-in-Startup solution is indeed very probably what you want.

If it's important to you that VLC actually start after everything else has started up, though, put the shortcut in Startup and then try Startup Delayer.
posted by dansdata at 6:52 AM on March 28, 2008

If you want it in the background, check out XYNTService.
posted by arnold at 7:05 AM on March 28, 2008

Thank you all!

Now I have to make the VLC playlist (which I am using as a station list) to be a bit more user friendly.
posted by mbarryf at 12:42 PM on March 28, 2008

Hey guys,

Another method:
I just found that you can make a short cut to vlc that opens a file or stream or whatever you want it to open.
Here you can see the command line options available

the short cut is made by creating a new short cut on your desktop (right click on desktop > new > shortcut).
in the taget you put (including quotes)
"C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" -vvv http://mp3.streampower.be/stubru-high

in the start in line you put:
"C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC"

now you can copy the shortcut to the startup folder in your start menu

bye.
posted by sanderhartveld at 4:20 AM on November 13, 2008