Winpeshl.ini controls whether a customized shell is loaded in Windows PE instead of the default Command Prompt window. To load a customized shell, create a file named Winpeshl.ini and place it in %SYSTEMROOT%\System32 of your customized Windows PE image. The .ini file must have the following section and entry.

[LaunchApp]
AppPath = %SYSTEMDRIVE%\myshell.exe
[LaunchApps]
%SYSTEMDRIVE%\mydir\application1.exe, -option1 -option2
application2.exe, -option1 -option2

Set the AppPath entry to the path to your shell application. The path can be either fully qualified, or you can use environment variables, such as %SYSTEMROOT%\System32\Myshell.exe. The AppPath entry does not support command-line options.

Use the [LaunchApps] section to run applications with 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 customized shell application, Windows PE restarts.

Important
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 Winpeshl.exe, which performs a number of functions, including calling the default Command Prompt window in Windows PE or your customized shell application.