Launch application via run menu rather than dos...possible?

Question

hi,
we're trying to find a way to launch a application, such as MS Word, from our java app via the run menu in start menu, rather than through dos. currently our program reads the start menu and gets the lnk file paths, the problems is that it displays them as:
C:\WIN98_SE\start menu\programs\Microsoft Word.lnk
but dos needs them as:
C:\WIN98_SE\startm~1\programs\Micros~3.lnk
so to execute it from java we would need to write it as:
Runtime.getRuntime().exec("start C:\\WIN98_SE\\startm~1\\programs\\MICROS~3.lnk");
since we're doing this dynamically we can't be sure if the user will have office professional, home, or any other version, so this means that for some micros~3 might be micros~1, not sure which number will be attached at the end. but if we are able to launch it from the run command in the start menu then typing:
C:\WIN98_SE\start menu\programs\Microsoft Word.lnk
will work.
Thanks.

Answer 1

You should try this:
Runtime.getRuntime().exec("command /C \"C:\\WIN98_SE\\start menu\\programs\\Microsoft Word.lnk\" "); with Win98
orRuntime.getRuntime().exec("cmd /C \"C:\\WINNT\\Documents and Settings\\user-name\\Start Menu\\Programs\\Microsoft Word.lnk\" "); with Win2000 prof.
/C - Carries out the command specified by string and then terminates
I tested only the second one because I don't have access to a win98 system.
Let me know if this solves your problem.
Regards
BG