App launcher for multiple progs

[Vintage1945]

Hi, I am building an entertainment cab thats prolly different than most here. www.vintage1945.com/goal.htm | www.vintage1945.com/cab.htm

I have many issues, but atm i need to find a way to launch a number of different .exe's from my load screen. One idea i had was to make a html file load in XP startup, and link the pics i made to the different programs. This is great except one major problem, internet explorer always asks to "open" "save" ect., and I want it to simply run the exe. I tried to link it to a batch file, but IE asks the same thing. I know IE isnt suppossed to run exe's w/o asking, but is there a reg hack or a script i could link to that would open my programs?

Or, is there a good windows gui program that will do this, that i dont have to configure a bunch of configuration lines in. I want it to be easy to config, opening a little windows explorer box and letting me choose the program i want to open for each different picture i use.

I looked through the FAQ, but didnt see my particular ques answered, if anyone can help it would be of great help to me! I am willing to try any solution that works as i descibed or similar. THX!

(i am running win XP w/ mame32, and all progs will be gui, no cmd line stuff)

[mp2526]

This might work for you.

http://www.desktopx.net/

[eightbit]

Mamewah can launch exe's. It doesn't support mouse input. There are many other front ends or menus that should be able to do what you want.

[Vintage1945]

thx for the replys, there are a few options, i guess i will just have to experiment with whatever i can find. DesktopX is pretty cool btw.

[telengard]

Hi, I am building an entertainment cab thats prolly different than most here. www.vintage1945.com/goal.htm | www.vintage1945.com/cab.htm

I have many issues, but atm i need to find a way to launch a number of different .exe's from my load screen. One idea i had was to make a html file load in XP startup, and link the pics i made to the different programs. This is great except one major problem, internet explorer always asks to "open" "save" ect., and I want it to simply run the exe. I tried to link it to a batch file, but IE asks the same thing. I know IE isnt suppossed to run exe's w/o asking, but is there a reg hack or a script i could link to that would open my programs?

Or, is there a good windows gui program that will do this, that i dont have to configure a bunch of configuration lines in. I want it to be easy to config, opening a little windows explorer box and letting me choose the program i want to open for each different picture i use.

I looked through the FAQ, but didnt see my particular ques answered, if anyone can help it would be of great help to me! I am willing to try any solution that works as i descibed or similar. THX!

(i am running win XP w/ mame32, and all progs will be gui, no cmd line stuff)

My suggestion is not fancy, but I wrote a small pygame script that can launch multiple
programs including exiting to windows and rebooting.  I use it my cab, you can grab it here:

http://users.adelphia.net/~bsturk/myprog.html#other

I just called it 'Cabinet Menu'

[ErikRuud]

GameLauncher can do this.

I have it launching mame roms, Retrocade roms, O2em Roms, and an MP3 juke box program using .bat files that GL calls.

[_Iz-]

You could get one of those programs that make autorun menus for homebrew cd's and make a custom multiple program chioce / launch exe with it...

[JeSo]

My suggestion is not fancy, but I wrote a small pygame script that can launch multiple
programs including exiting to windows and rebooting.  I use it my cab, you can grab it here:

http://users.adelphia.net/~bsturk/myprog.html#other

I just called it 'Cabinet Menu'

Yay! Pygame is awesome  
That is all.

[AndyWarne]

I have a program which should do this. I asked someone to write it and the functionality is there but it has not been "prettified" yet, its just a standard VB app. I have not tested it but anyone is welcome to try it. A proper version will be available soon. It can be downloaded here:
www.ultimarc.com/Launcher.exe

It can load IPC files (I-PAC keycode files) for each app and program an I-PAC on the fly but you may or may not need this.

Andy

[crkoa]

I have written a similar program to telengard's "Cabinet Menu" in Java. At least it sounds that way (don't know anything about vb). I've attached it for anyone that is interested. It's pretty well labeled to make changes easy. I created a self-executing jar file with the image files inside and launch it upon startup by using a link in the startup folder in WindowsXP.

Hope this helps someone.

[telengard]

I have written a similar program to telengard's "Cabinet Menu" in Java. At least it sounds that way (don't know anything about vb). I've attached it for anyone that is interested. It's pretty well labeled to make changes easy. I created a self-executing jar file with the image files inside and launch it upon startup by using a link in the startup folder in WindowsXP.

Hope this helps someone.

VB? Yikes...      

The script I wrote uses python and pygame.  One of these days I need to try out
jython.

[crkoa]

Sorry telengard, got your post confused with Andy's