# adding inf file to startup in Windows 98

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-inf-file-to-startup-in-windows-98/77512>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 22, 2001, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-inf-file-to-startup-in-windows-98/77512 "2001-08-22T09:18:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![curwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@curwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curwin)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-inf-file-to-startup-in-windows-98/77512/1 "2001-08-22T09:18:59Z")

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There is this bug in Windows that requires me to install a particular inf file every now and then. I would like to run it automatically on startup. But when I put it in Start | Programs | Startup, it opens the inf file in Notepad. Is there anyway I can make it install silently on startup?

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**Author:** ![Baraqiyal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@Baraqiyal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baraqiyal)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-inf-file-to-startup-in-windows-98/77512/2 "2001-08-22T10:08:45Z")

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.inf files don’t “run” because they’re not executable. If your intention is to put a particular .inf file in a specific directory on bootup, you can add a copy statement to the autoexec.bat file, i.e. Copy c: emp\whatever.ini c:\windows /Y

That’s kind of kludgy though. Maybe if you say what this file is that keeps needing a reinstall, we can help you fix the problem.

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**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-inf-file-to-startup-in-windows-98/77512/3 "2001-08-22T10:10:36Z")

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here’s the command you need to add :

rundll setupx.dll,InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall 132 c:\windows\inf\filename.inf

.inf files cannot be "open with"ed by other programs, but the above command will make it run and install on start up.

more information here :

[http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q145/8/10.asp](http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q145/8/10.asp)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-inf-file-to-startup-in-windows-98/77512/4 "2001-08-22T10:13:52Z")

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so basically, make a .bat file with the following line :

rundll setupx.dll,InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall 132 c:\windows\inf\filename.inf

and copy that .bat file into the StartUp folder. that’s all.