Launch program on big box exit?

[kalkasaurus]

I’ve been searching for a while and couldn’t find a definite answer that was recent. 
 

I am currently set up to boot up into windows and have big box in my startup folder, which works fine. I am toying with the idea of setting big box as my shell, to avoid the desktop for the few seconds it’s visible. 
 

is there a way, within big box, to launch explorer.exe when I exit? Or a quick way to do it that doesn’t involve creating a bunch of processes? 

[JoeViking245]

26 minutes ago, kalkasaurus said:

is there a way, within big box, to launch explorer.exe when I exit?

No. 

But where you have a shortcut to BigBox.exe in your startup folder, you could replace that with a shortcut to a batch file.  [I'm pretty sure.  Not tested.]  Something along the lines of

start /w "" "D:\LaunchBox\Core\BigBox.exe"
C:\Windows\explorer.exe

Of course adjusting your LaunchBox drive and location accordingly.  This will launch BigBox and then wait until it closes (exits) before running explerer.exe.   But you will need to make sure to point to the 'BigBox.exe' located in the ../Core  subfolder.   Otherwise it'll run exploere.exe without waiting.

[kalkasaurus]

22 minutes ago, JoeViking245 said:

No. 

But where you have a shortcut to BigBox.exe in your startup folder, you could replace that with a shortcut to a batch file.  [I'm pretty sure.  Not tested.]  Something along the lines of

start /w "" "D:\LaunchBox\Core\BigBox.exe"
C:\Windows\explorer.exe

Of course adjusting your LaunchBox drive and location accordingly.  This will launch BigBox and then wait until it closes (exits) before running explerer.exe.   But you will need to make sure to point to the 'BigBox.exe' located in the ../Core  subfolder.   Otherwise it'll run exploere.exe without waiting.

Thanks, I will try this out!

[jamaster14]

On 1/11/2021 at 7:15 PM, kalkasaurus said:

Thanks, I will try this out!

Did this work for you?

[Dark Fact]

I'm wondering, too! 

Does this work?  I'd like to start Antimicro app automatically if BigBox exits. This could allow controller to be used as a mouse on the desktop.

[JoeViking245]

7 hours ago, Dark Fact said:

I'm wondering, too! 

Does this work?  I'd like to start Antimicro app automatically if BigBox exits. This could allow controller to be used as a mouse on the desktop.

I use a batch file to start BigBox almost daily.  The batch file 1st loads settings to make the TV my primary monitor, then loads BB using the "start /w" command.  When BB exits, the batch file then loads settings to make my arcade cab be the primary monitor again.

My comment above regarding "not tested" was referring to if you shell your PC directly into BB, then attempt to start explorer.exe afterwards.

If you're not doing the 'shell' thing and just want to start a program after BB exits, then I can say for certain this does work.  

[OldSchool80s]

On 1/11/2021 at 4:52 PM, JoeViking245 said:

No. 

But where you have a shortcut to BigBox.exe in your startup folder, you could replace that with a shortcut to a batch file.  [I'm pretty sure.  Not tested.]  Something along the lines of

start /w "" "D:\LaunchBox\Core\BigBox.exe"
C:\Windows\explorer.exe

Of course adjusting your LaunchBox drive and location accordingly.  This will launch BigBox and then wait until it closes (exits) before running explerer.exe.   But you will need to make sure to point to the 'BigBox.exe' located in the ../Core  subfolder.   Otherwise it'll run exploere.exe without waiting.

I've tried all sorts of variations and can't get it to execute after closing BigBox (I have command line parameters with the second program). Windows 11

Variation 1:
start /w "" "C:\Users\Me\LaunchBox\BigBox.exe"
C:\QRes.exe /x:1280 /y:960

Variation 2:
start /w "" "C:\Users\Me\LaunchBox\BigBox.exe"
C:\QRes.exe -/x:1280 -/y:960 

Variation 3:
start /w "" "C:\Users\Me\LaunchBox\BigBox.exe"
"C:\QRes.exe /x:1280 /y:960"

Variation 4:
start /w "" "C:\Users\Me\LaunchBox\BigBox.exe"
"C:\QRes.exe -/x:1280 -/y:960"

I've even tried these on one line, not two.

???

[JoeViking245]

4 hours ago, OldSchool80s said:

I've tried all sorts of variations and can't get it to execute after closing BigBox

 

On 1/11/2021 at 4:52 PM, JoeViking245 said:

But you will need to make sure to point to the 'BigBox.exe' located in the ../Core  subfolder.

 

start /w "" "C:\Users\Me\LaunchBox\Core\BigBox.exe"

start /w "" "C:\Users\Me\LaunchBox\Core\BigBox.exe"
C:\QRes.exe /x:1280 /y:960

 

[OldSchool80s]

5 hours ago, JoeViking245 said:

 

 

start /w "" "C:\Users\Me\LaunchBox\Core\BigBox.exe"

start /w "" "C:\Users\Me\LaunchBox\Core\BigBox.exe"
C:\QRes.exe /x:1280 /y:960

 

Isn’t the “core”, the same as the path to “where it is installed”?

Because BigBox does launch when I run the .bat file, it’s the other software that doesn’t run after I exit out of BigBox.

[JoeViking245]

32 minutes ago, OldSchool80s said:

Isn’t the “core”, the same as the path to “where it is installed”?

Because BigBox does launch when I run the .bat file, it’s the other software that doesn’t run after I exit out of BigBox.

Think of it as /LaunchBox/BigBox.exe is a 'launcher' for /LaunchBox/Core/BigBox.exe.  

or

/LaunchBox/BigBox.exe is a 'shortcut' to /LaunchBox/Core/BigBox.exe.

 

So what's happening is you batch file is:

• it starts /LaunchBox/Bigbox.exe
  • this in turn starts /LaunchBox/Core/BigBox.exe
  • then exits itself
• /wait (/w) is now done because the program you told it to wait for is no longer running.
• QRes now executes **
  • Note: /Core/BigBox.exe is still running

aka:  it starts BigBox, then immediately launches your QRes command.

 

** I don't know anything about QRes, so I didn't pay any attention to that part of your script.  Chances are, it may not have worked anyway if you did point to the Core folder.  You may need to "start" it also.

start /w "" "C:\Users\Me\LaunchBox\Core\BigBox.exe"
start "" "C:\QRes.exe" /x:1280 /y:960

 

[OldSchool80s]

4 hours ago, JoeViking245 said:

Think of it as /LaunchBox/BigBox.exe is a 'launcher' for /LaunchBox/Core/BigBox.exe.  

or

/LaunchBox/BigBox.exe is a 'shortcut' to /LaunchBox/Core/BigBox.exe.

Thanks. This worked. I didn't understand/know that there was a core BB.