Here's another obscure question for this board.

How can I add stuff to my boot log?
I mostly want to know, because I'm authoring a password program in C++ and I want to implment it on my laptop.

I want the program to run just before windows starts to load, right after it's done doing system checks.

Any ideas???

(yes I know I can password my laptop other ways, but my way is the best, so tell me how to do it that way)

I really have no idea for sure (have you tried other sources such as Google?), but if you click Start > Run > "msconfig" there are a bunch of startup options. if you know what you're doing in there, you could try messing around in there (although I wouldn't recommend changing anything if you don't know what you're doing). the only thing is that the Startup tab at least, is stuff that runs as the desktop and everything is loading, so that doesn't really do exactly what you want. however, there are other startup options and things that might be what you need.

MSCONFIG defines what starts up during Windows. I'm looking for something that runs before hand, right after system checks

Dude, you were right. I can control what starts up. I just need to add a line to my autoexe.bat file. That's all good, but now does anyone know how to write C++ programs for DOS??? Probably not, but you can prove me wrong.

you just want to know how to make it run under DOS?

not sure if my terminology is correct, but by default (assuming you're writing it on a Windows machine) it should be DOS. It probably depends on the compiler, but I know with Borland C++ 5.02 if you don't use a project, the program will automatically run in DOS mode. Either way, you should be able to specify DOS as your platform when you create a new project. In Borland C++, go to File > New > Project... and on the lower left it will have platform and target model. I'm not sure what target model is, because in my comp sci class we use an EasyWin for C++, and for C we didn't use projects for DOS.

Hope that helps a little, at least :)

Well, I'm working in Microsoft Visual C++, and the program I'm writing right now does open in a MS-DOS window, but when I add it to my autoexe file, and it actually launches, I get an error, that says "This application can not be launched in DOS". Oh well. I'll tinker with it.
Good job Dude128, you truly are a computer wizard.