Installing a Custom Shell (Windows Embedded CE 6.0)
1/6/2010
Once you have developed your custom shell, install the shell on your target device through the registry. The following example shows the registry key for installing a shell called MyShell.exe.
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Init]
Launchxx = "MyShell.EXE"
Dependsxx = hex:14, 00, 1e, 00
If you created your custom shell by modifying the source code for the Windows Embedded CE Standard Shell, then your shell executable is named Shell.exe and the default registry settings provided in Common.reg load your shell automatically.
When Windows Embedded CE starts, it executes the Launchxx keys in order. Make your shell the last item numbered. Then add a Dependsxx key, which lists the dependencies on previous launch modules. The value of this key is a sequence of DWORD values that lists the sequence numbers of dependent modules.
Windows Embedded CE waits for dependent modules to run and initialize before launching the Launchxx keys with the matching number. For example, if you register your shell as Launch60, you should have a Depends60 key that lists the modules that must be initialized before your shell is launched. Before executing the Launch60 key, Windows Embedded CE waits for all modules listed in the Depends60 key to be executed and initialized.