How to run my program on before logout on windows XP?

Question

I am looking for an inverse version of "RunOnceEx".

RunOnceEx does run some program, before the user's shell(desktop&taskbar) start. The login progress will not continue before the runonceex complete.

I want to do exact the same but on user logout. When she/he logout, all running program shutdown, leaving shell(desktop&taskbar), then ""I wish my program will be execute this moment"", finally logout.

I think it is possible because the "mobsync.exe" is doing that. But I cannot find where and how to do it.

Abomb

I was asking for a "programmable" way - that, I can set it up during my the installation or a option in the application. The group policy is great, but it just does not fix the requirement. Are Microsoft hardcoding the "mobsync.exe"? – Abomb

As @VonC said, justr add some registry entires. how hard is that! – Allergen

Are you looking for a solution in C/C++ or .NET? Also, mobsync.exe is a Microsoft program and more than likely uses Registry entries like all the answers that you are refusing. – Iliac

Answer 1

To run this only for the current user, you can use WMI to get an information when a shutdown/logout occurs.

Either you write a small C# (or any other language that can use WMI) application or vbs script to listen on the Win32_ComputerShutdownEvent WMI event.

An example C# app can be found here in this question: Get Log off event from system

Burgundy

Answer 2

Warning, as said here, gpedit.msc will allow you to configure a logoff script for all users.

If you need that script only for one user, you need to declare it directly in the registry, both in HKCU and HKLM.

Grefer

Answer 3

found in the first result on google for me

To execute a program you can create a script to run it and use group policy to enforce it. In Group Policy Editor navigate to User Configuration-->Windows Settings-->Scripts (Logon/Logoff)

more information here

Lang

As I am asking in stackoverflow, not Superuser, I am looking for solutions for programmings – Abomb

Answer 4

If you want a running program to execute code on logoff, then you should hook the WM_QUERYENDSESSION message and look for an lParam value of ENDSESSION_LOGOFF (0x80000000).

It's important to test for this lParam value because the other ones indicate a "forced close" - i.e. your process may be killed before your code is even allowed to run. In fact, most shutdown/session-end messages are only intended to give you an opportunity to run last-minute cleanup code and aren't that safe to respond to with long-running actions; but this particular combination should be OK.

Note: I've never tried to actually run a separate process in response to the WM_QUERYENDSESSION message. It's possible that the window manager will disallow this, like it does during shutdown. Try it and see, I guess.

If you're in a .NET environment (you didn't specify), a quicker way is to add an event handler to the Microsoft.Win32.SystemEvents.SessionEnding event.

Perlman

Answer 5

What you need is an implementation of GINA. You can run your custom commands in WlxIsLogoffOk function, which gets called when the user initiates a logoff

Once you create the proper GINA dll you can register it here: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\@GinaDLL

Here is an implementation which may fit your needs (it provides a Logoff registry key where you could specify your command): http://wwwthep.physik.uni-mainz.de/~frink/newgina_pre09/readme.html

Punchy

+1 because this is a legitimate answer but I think implementing a GINA dll for what this person wants to accomplish is way over the top. – Ragwort

Answer 6

As VonC and TFD already mentioned, the Group Policy Editor is just another way to manipulate the registry.

Just make with gpedit the changes (in Userconfig - Windows Settings - Scripts) you like and afterwards take a look in the registry at [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System\Scripts] to find out how you can do that directly.

Also on my PC (hanging in a domain) is a hidden folder C:\WINDOWS\System32\GroupPolicy with subfolders for user and machine. Both having additional subfolders called Shutdown and Startup. Maybe you can also use these ones.

Jargonize

Answer 7

If you need something simple and working for a single (or any) user you can make a simple application in C++ or C# for example.

The simplest is having a C# in tray (by simply adding the tray component to the form) and register and event handler for the FormClosing event. It'd look like this:

    private void Form1_FormClosing(object sender, FormClosingEventArgs e)
    {
        if (e.CloseReason != CloseReason.UserClosing)
        {
            // It's not the user closing the application,
            // Let's do whatever you want here, for example starting a process
            Process notePad = new Process();

            notePad.StartInfo.FileName   = "notepad.exe";
            notePad.StartInfo.Arguments = "ProcessStart.cs";

            notePad.Start();
        }
    }

So your application will be started with Windows or with the user. It'll wait (using a little bit of memory) and will do something when the system shuts down, or the user log off, etc (by checking "CloseReason" above).

Ecker