Language-Independent Way to Update the Startup Group

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) for Windows version 3.1

SUMMARY

When writing an installation script for a Windows-based application, an entry to the StartUp program group should be added. However, international retail versions of Windows use different group names. For example, the German retail version of Windows calls its startup program group AutoStart, so merely looking for a program group by name will not work in other languages. This article gives you a language-independent way to update the startup group.

MORE INFORMATION

The program manager checks for the startup group name by first checking the PROGMAN.INI file for the entry "Startup=" entry. (The user can specify their own startup group using this entry.) If it doesn't find this entry, it searches the title bars of all child windows for text matching the name of the startup group as defined in the Program Manager resource script file. In other words, there is no tag on a program group that marks it as the startup group. It is decided solely on the name of the group, and the name changes for each language version of Windows.

You can use the same approach in your application. All you need to know are the translations for "Start Up" for the languages you are interested in. Then use code similar to this:

   #if language == GERMAN
      startup="Autostart"
   #elif language ==  ENGLISH
      startup="Start Up"
   #elif .........