Winpeshl.ini Files (Standard 7 SP1)

7/8/2014

Winpeshl.ini controls whether a custom shell is loaded in Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) 3.0 instead of the default Command Prompt window. To load a custom shell, create a file named Winpeshl.ini and put it in the %SYSTEMROOT%\System32 folder of your custom Windows PE image. The .ini file must have the following section and entries.

[LaunchApp]
AppPath = %SYSTEMDRIVE%\MyFolder\MyShell.exe
[LaunchApps]
%SYSTEMDRIVE%\MyFolder\Application1.exe, -option1 -option2
Application2.exe, -option1 -option2

Set the AppPath entry to the path of your shell application. You can use either a fully qualified path or environment variables, such as %SYSTEMDRIVE%\MyFolder\MyShell.exe. The AppPath entry does not support command-line options.

Use the [LaunchApps] section to run applications by using command-line options. The applications run in the order listed; separate the name of the application from its options with a comma (,).

When you exit the Command Prompt window or your custom shell application, Windows PE restarts.

Note

Do not edit the value of CmdLine in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup registry key of Setupreg.hiv to start your shell application. The value of CmdLine calls Winpeshl.exe that performs several functions, which includes calling the default Command Prompt window in Windows PE or your custom shell application.

See Also

Other Resources

Command-Line Tools Technical Reference