Screen saver

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ChrisGreaves
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Re: Screen saver

Post by ChrisGreaves »

stuck wrote:
30 Nov 2022, 18:14
Except the folder you point to is not really part of the boot sequence, it's just where Windows looks, after the boot sequence has finished, for any programs you want to auto start after the boot sequence has finished.
OK. So my text file "AutoExec.bat" file could be renamed "Auto20221107.bat" with impunity. It is just another program in this case a DOS Batch file - that gets executed after Windows has done what used to be Autoexec.bat.

Excepting, still, that what used to be "Autoexec.bat" in Win 3.1, and even in DOS, was always "just another program to be executed after the machine has started.

In DOS we had only a file Autoexec.bat, but now in "C:\Users\Chris075\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup" we can load into that folder as many programs, even as many different types of program, as we see fit.

Back in the days of DOS we had to build calls to different programs into our AutoExec,bar file, and that file had to be called AutoExec.bat, and it had to be in the root folder of drive C:.

Have I finally got it right after some 39 years?
Thanks in anticipation
Chris
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stuck
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Re: Screen saver

Post by stuck »

ChrisGreaves wrote:
30 Nov 2022, 18:27
...In DOS we had only a file Autoexec.bat...
I think that's right. The actual boot process was managed by io.sys:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IO.SYS

Ken

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ChrisGreaves
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Re: Screen saver

Post by ChrisGreaves »

Great link, thanks.
"the first sector of the boot disk is loaded into memory and executed" shades of the IBM 1401 bootstrap loader. The "LOAD" button on the reader read the first card into memory 0001-0080 and transferred control to 0001, which by then contained a SW 007 instruction, and the rest of the card said "set more word marks, then read a card and branch to 001. That one-card program was enough to read the next two cards, which were then able to set about loading the rest of the object deck. I feel right at home already!

"Processes the CONFIG.SYS file" I remember that the Config.sys specified the image for the splash screen. It too me ages to find that again in Win7 or Win10.

"The two first entries of the root directory must be allocated by IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS, in that order" The bane of anyone stupid enough (ahem!) to reformat the hard drive.

Thanks again, Ken.
Chris
An expensive day out: Wallet and Grimace

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Skitterbug
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Re: Screen saver

Post by Skitterbug »

ChrisGreaves wrote:
30 Nov 2022, 20:32
"Processes the CONFIG.SYS file" I remember that the Config.sys specified the image for the splash screen. It too me ages to find that again in Win7 or Win10.
So am I correct in thinking that MSConfig replaced Config.sys? And is there any command in it that could initiate the screensaver? Or am I way off and have missed the point entirely? Nothing new if I have...... I can go off topic lots. :rofl:
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JoeP
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Re: Screen saver

Post by JoeP »

Find the file for the screen saver(s) you want using File Explorer. They are in C:\Windows\System32. Right-click on the file and then click "Show More Options". Then under "Send to" use "Desktop (create shortcut). That will create a shortcut for each file you want. Double click the shortcut to start the screensaver.
Joe

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Skitterbug
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Re: Screen saver

Post by Skitterbug »

JoeP wrote:
01 Dec 2022, 01:27
Find the file for the screen saver(s) you want using File Explorer. They are in C:\Windows\System32. Right-click on the file and then click "Show More Options". Then under "Send to" use "Desktop (create shortcut). That will create a shortcut for each file you want. Double click the shortcut to start the screensaver.
YES! This works! So now I can initiate the screensaver manually.
It is odd that MS is making all of this so difficult but until a permanent solution is figured out, this will make me happy.

Thank you!
Skitterbug :coffeetime:
A cup of coffee shared with a friend is happiness tasted and time well spent.

PJ_in_FL
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Re: Screen saver

Post by PJ_in_FL »

ChrisGreaves wrote:
30 Nov 2022, 18:27
...

In DOS we had only a file Autoexec.bat, but now in "C:\Users\Chris075\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup" we can load into that folder as many programs, even as many different types of program, as we see fit.

...
Chris,

Check out the AUTORUNS utility from the famously creative SYSINTERNALS team (sadly assimilated by MS) to find ALL the places programs can hide to be run during startup.
PJ in (usually sunny) FL