Winpeshl.ini Technical Reference (Standard 8)
7/8/2014
Review the contents of the Winpeshl.ini file for Windows Embedded 8 Standard (Standard 8).
Winpeshl.ini controls whether a custom shell is loaded in the Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) 4.0 instead of the Command Prompt window, which is the default. To load a custom shell, create a file named Winpeshl.ini and put it in the %SYSTEMROOT%\System32 folder of your custom Windows PE 4.0 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 4.0 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 the Winpeshl.exe file that performs several functions, which includes calling the default Command Prompt window in Windows PE 4.0 or your custom shell application.