-- run.exe v0.2 (normal version)
-- (c) 2010 Valentin Schmidt
-- contact: fluxus@freenet.de

run.exe is a general purpose application starter utility.


FEATURES
========

- hidden (has no window)

- small (5 KB, or 20 KB without UPX compression)

- highly customizable via INI file (for details see comments in enclosed "run.ini"

- define arbitrary command-line parameters (without requiring a shell/DOS box)
  (see parameter "param=" in INI file)

- pass the dynamically set current commandline arguments to the target app, optionally 
  combined/extended with fixed data
  (see wildcard "%*" for parameter "param=" in INI file)
  
- set the state/visibility of the target app (e.g. normal, maximized, minimized, hidden, ...)
  (see parameter "show=" in INI file)

- run win apps completely hidden, useful e.g. for helper apps/services; of course the process is still shown
  in task manager or process explorer
  (see parameter "show=" in INI file)
  
- set the current directory for the target app to any directory (optionally using environment variables, 
  see below), or use "*" to specify that it is always executed in the folder where run.exe is found (even 
  when run.exe was called via path from another directory)
  (see parameter "dir=" in INI file)

- (temporarily) adjust/define environment variables that are then available for the target app
  (see parameter "env=" and parameters defined in the [env] section of the INI file

- elevate/change user for the target process
  (see value "runas" for parameter "action=" in INI file)
  
- in addition to executing apps, you can also open/edit/print files with the appropriate default app as defined 
  in the registry, or trigger any other action that is defined in the registry for this filetype 
  (see parameter "action=" in INI file)

- use enviroment variables in all INI parameters (where applicable), like %TMP%, %HOMEPATH%, 
  "%ProgramFiles% etc., which are then automatically expended to their current value
  (see parameter "expand=" in INI file)

- determine the process priority of the target process (Idle, Normal, High, Realtime)
  (see parameter "priority=" in INI file)

- define a windows hotkey (e.g. something like SHIFT+F12, or whatever) for the target
  app, the user can then use this hotkey any time to activate/focus the app (e.g. when it 
  was minimized to the task manager)
  (see parameter "hotkey=" in INI file)
  
- define a timeout (in ms) after which the target app is automatically terminated
  (see parameter "timeout=" in INI file)
  
- specify if run.exe should wait for the target app to terminate (if no timeout is specified)
  (see parameter "wait=" in INI file)


ADDITIONAL NOTES:
=================

- run.exe can be renamed to any other name (e.g. "setup.exe" for UAC elevation in vista/win7), as 
  long as the INI file is renamed accordingly (foo.exe -> foo.ini)
  
- steps to change the icon:
  1. unpack EXE using upx: upx -d run.exe
  2. use e.g. ResHacker to exchange the icon resource, save and quit
  3. repack with UPX (if desired): upx run.exe