How to Auto Run an application after bootup

1) In our example we will get Platform Settings (MyConfigurator.exe) to Auto Run as soon as our system boots
2) There are two ways to get the application to run depending on at what point you want the application to run.
a. Before anything else runs (ie. explorer)
b. After system has settled at the desktop.

*Before Anything else runs:
· Open platform.reg and add the following line:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\init]
"Launch50"="MyConfigurator.exe"
"Depend50"=hex:14,00,1E,

Save the changes and exit. The LaunchXX key (where XX is a numeric value) simply points at the executable to launch and gives it it’s order (50 is usually explorer.exe). In the above case, the registry launches three processes, Shell, Device, and GWES. Device.exe (Launch20) has a dependency on Hex:0a (10 decimal). This equates to Launch10, or shell.exe, so the Shell process needs to signal the operating system that it's up and running so that any dependencies (in this case device.exe) can then be started. The same is also true of gwes.exe (launch30), device.exe depends on hex:14 (20 decimal), so GWES can't run until device.exe calls SignalStarted.
You can have multiple dependencies; for our case the dependencies will be on hex:14,00,1e,00 (Launch20 and Launch30), so both Device and GWES need to be up and running before the shell starts.
Go back to workspace that will have the Auto Run application added and select “Make Run-Time Image from the Build OS drop down menu.
* After system has settled at the desktop
· You simply need to change the code previously added in the platform.reg file to the following:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\init]
"Launch79"="MyConfigurator.exe"
"Depend79"=hex:14,00,1E,00

· The above entry will no longer override the launch number that is originally used by explorer.exe and launch the application with the same dependencies as our example seen in “Before anything else runs”.

Porting Drivers to Windows CE 6.0

This session has been presented by Juggs Ravalia and Travis Hobrla at various Windows CE events such as MEDC.  It walks you through getting drivers from CE 5.0 (or previous versions) to work in CE 6.0.  Using the WaveAPI driver as a example, we look at the code necessary to move a driver with complex memory management forward into CE 6.0.  This presentation covers everything you need to know to port your driver to CE6.0 including access checking, marshalling, thread permissions, and security.

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Microsoft unveils Windows CE Driver Databases

Microsoft has announced two new online databases that list Windows CE drivers and BSPs (board support packages). The "regularly updated" databases are easily searchable by product category, manufacturer, processor family, and other relevant parameters, according to the company.

Microsoft describes the online driver database as "an extensive list of device drivers supported on Windows Embedded CE from Microsoft, Windows Embedded Partners, and third-party manufacturers." According to the company, the drivers listed are divided into three types:

• PQD -- These "product quality developed" drivers were developed and distributed by Microsoft, and are incorporated into Microsoft's IDE (integrated development environment)
  
  
• Microsoft-validated -- These are third-party drivers that were submitted to Microsoft via its Windows Embedded CE validation program, and passed standard quality performance tests
  
  
• Non-validated-- These are third-party drivers that were not submitted to Microsoft for validation, but which are posted on the list "to generate product awareness"

Pull-down menus, as shown on the screenshot below, allow searching the driver database by validation status, Windows CE version, product category, and manufacturer. A "description" field describes each driver, and links to supplemental manufacturer information, if available.



Meanwhile, Microsoft's BSP (board support package) database provides "an extensive list of BSPs supported on Windows Embedded CE," according to the company. Pull-down menus allow searching the BSP database by Windows CE version, CPU name, processor family (such as MIPS, Xscale, or x86), and certification status, says Microsoft.

In addition, check boxes allow users of the database to narrow down their search by one or more target device categories. Device categories in the database are listed in the following order:

• GPS
  
• Medical systems
  
• VoIP
  
• Thin client
  
• Kiosk
  
• Printer
  
• Gaming
  
• Handheld terminal
  
• Datacom
  
• Digital media player
  
• Digital TV
  
• Projector
  
• DVD player
  
• Test and measurement
  
• STB (set-top box)
  
• POS terminal
  
• Digital camera
  
• Digital video player/recorder
  
• Industrial and building automation
  
• Other

The browser-based list of results, used by both the drivers and BSP databases, can be sorted any way a user wishes, simply by clicking on any column heading. Another useful feature is the ability to subscribe to an RSS feed that provides notification of new drivers or BSPs, according to Microsoft.

Driver database link