How can I run an EXE program from a Windows Service using C

Question

How can I run an EXE program from a Windows Service using C    This is my code   System Diagnostics Process Start   E  PROJECT XL INI SQLLOADER ConsoleApplication2 ConsoleApplication2 ConsoleApplication2 bin Debug ConsoleApplication2 exe      When I run this service  the application is not starting  What s wrong with my code

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First  we are going to create a Windows Service that runs under the   System account  This service will be responsible for spawning an   interactive process within the currently active User   s Session  This   newly created process will display a UI and run with full admin   rights  When the first User logs on to the computer  this service will   be started and will be running in Session0  however the process that   this service spawns will be running on the desktop of the currently   logged on User  We will refer to this service as the LoaderService       Next  the winlogon exe process is responsible for managing User login   and logout procedures  We know that every User who logs on to the   computer will have a unique Session ID and a corresponding   winlogon exe process associated with their Session  Now  we mentioned   above  the LoaderService runs under the System account  We also   confirmed that each winlogon exe process on the computer runs under   the System account  Because the System account is the owner of both   the LoaderService and the winlogon exe processes  our LoaderService   can copy the access token  and Session ID  of the winlogon exe process   and then call the Win32 API function CreateProcessAsUser to launch a   process into the currently active Session of the logged on User  Since   the Session ID located within the access token of the copied   winlogon exe process is greater than 0  we can launch an interactive   process using that token    Try this one  Subverting Vista UAC in Both 32 and 64 bit Architectures

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i have tried this article  Code Project  it is working fine for me  I have used the code too  article is excellent in explanation with screenshot   I am adding necessary explanation to this scenario  You have just booted up your computer and are about to log on  When you log on  the system assigns you a unique Session ID  In Windows Vista  the first User to log on to the computer is assigned a Session ID of 1 by the OS  The next User to log on will be assigned a Session ID of 2  And so on and so forth  You can view the Session ID assigned to each logged on User from the Users tab in Task Manager         But your windows service is brought under session ID of 0  This session is isolated from other sessions  This ultimately prevent the windows service to invoke the application running under user session s like 1 or 2   In order to invoke the application from windows service you need to copy the control from winlogon exe which acts as present logged user as shown in below screenshot    Important codes     obtain the process id of the winlogon process that     is running within the currently active session Process   processes   Process GetProcessesByName  winlogon    foreach  Process p in processes        if   uint p SessionId    dwSessionId                winlogonPid    uint p Id              obtain a handle to the winlogon process hProcess   OpenProcess MAXIMUM ALLOWED  false  winlogonPid       obtain a handle to the access token of the winlogon process if   OpenProcessToken hProcess  TOKEN DUPLICATE  ref hPToken         CloseHandle hProcess       return false        Security attibute structure used in DuplicateTokenEx and   CreateProcessAsUser    I would prefer to not have to use a security attribute variable and to just     simply pass null and inherit  by default  the security attributes    of the existing token  However  in C  structures are value types and   therefore    cannot be assigned the null value  SECURITY ATTRIBUTES sa   new SECURITY ATTRIBUTES    sa Length   Marshal SizeOf sa       copy the access token of the winlogon process      the newly created token will be a primary token if   DuplicateTokenEx hPToken  MAXIMUM ALLOWED  ref sa        int SECURITY IMPERSONATION LEVEL SecurityIdentification        int TOKEN TYPE TokenPrimary  ref hUserTokenDup               CloseHandle hProcess         CloseHandle hPToken         return false          STARTUPINFO si   new STARTUPINFO     si cb    int Marshal SizeOf si       interactive window station parameter  basically this indicates     that the process created can display a GUI on the desktop si lpDesktop     winsta0 default       flags that specify the priority and creation method of the process int dwCreationFlags   NORMAL PRIORITY CLASS   CREATE NEW CONSOLE      create a new process in the current User s logon session  bool result   CreateProcessAsUser hUserTokenDup      client s access token                             null                 file to execute                             applicationName      command line                             ref sa               pointer to process    SECURITY ATTRIBUTES                             ref sa               pointer to thread SECURITY ATTRIBUTES                             false                handles are not inheritable                             dwCreationFlags      creation flags                             IntPtr Zero          pointer to new environment block                              null                 name of current directory                              ref si               pointer to STARTUPINFO structure                             out procInfo         receives information about new process

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you can use from windows task scheduler for this purpose  there are many libraries like TaskScheduler that help you  for example consider we want to scheduling a task that will executes once five seconds later  using  var ts   new TaskService                           var t   ts Execute  quot notepad exe quot                    Once                    Starting DateTime Now AddSeconds 5                    AsTask  quot myTask quot                notepad exe will be executed five seconds later  for details and more information please go to wiki if you know which class and method in that assembly you need  you can invoke it yourself like this          Assembly assembly   Assembly LoadFrom  quot yourApp exe quot            Type   types   assembly GetTypes            foreach  Type t in types                        if  t Name     quot YourClass quot                                 MethodInfo method   t GetMethod  quot YourMethod quot                   BindingFlags Public   BindingFlags Instance                   if  method    null                                        ParameterInfo   parameters   method GetParameters                        object classInstance   Activator CreateInstance t  null                        var result   method Invoke classInstance  parameters Length    0   null   parameters                                            break

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You should check this MSDN article and download the  docx file and read it carefully   it was very helpful for me  However this is a class which works fine for my case        StructLayout LayoutKind Sequential       internal struct PROCESS INFORMATION               public IntPtr hProcess          public IntPtr hThread          public uint dwProcessId          public uint dwThreadId                  StructLayout LayoutKind Sequential       internal struct SECURITY ATTRIBUTES               public uint nLength          public IntPtr lpSecurityDescriptor          public bool bInheritHandle               StructLayout LayoutKind Sequential       public struct STARTUPINFO               public uint cb          public string lpReserved          public string lpDesktop          public string lpTitle          public uint dwX          public uint dwY          public uint dwXSize          public uint dwYSize          public uint dwXCountChars          public uint dwYCountChars          public uint dwFillAttribute          public uint dwFlags          public short wShowWindow          public short cbReserved2          public IntPtr lpReserved2          public IntPtr hStdInput          public IntPtr hStdOutput          public IntPtr hStdError              internal enum SECURITY IMPERSONATION LEVEL               SecurityAnonymous          SecurityIdentification          SecurityImpersonation          SecurityDelegation            internal enum TOKEN TYPE               TokenPrimary   1          TokenImpersonation            public static class ProcessAsUser                 DllImport  quot advapi32 dll quot   SetLastError   true           private static extern bool CreateProcessAsUser              IntPtr hToken              string lpApplicationName              string lpCommandLine              ref SECURITY ATTRIBUTES lpProcessAttributes              ref SECURITY ATTRIBUTES lpThreadAttributes              bool bInheritHandles              uint dwCreationFlags              IntPtr lpEnvironment              string lpCurrentDirectory              ref STARTUPINFO lpStartupInfo              out PROCESS INFORMATION lpProcessInformation              DllImport  quot advapi32 dll quot   EntryPoint    quot DuplicateTokenEx quot   SetLastError   true           private static extern bool DuplicateTokenEx              IntPtr hExistingToken              uint dwDesiredAccess              ref SECURITY ATTRIBUTES lpThreadAttributes              Int32 ImpersonationLevel              Int32 dwTokenType              ref IntPtr phNewToken              DllImport  quot advapi32 dll quot   SetLastError   true           private static extern bool OpenProcessToken              IntPtr ProcessHandle              UInt32 DesiredAccess              ref IntPtr TokenHandle             DllImport  quot userenv dll quot   SetLastError   true           private static extern bool CreateEnvironmentBlock                  ref IntPtr lpEnvironment                  IntPtr hToken                  bool bInherit              DllImport  quot userenv dll quot   SetLastError   true           private static extern bool DestroyEnvironmentBlock                  IntPtr lpEnvironment             DllImport  quot kernel32 dll quot   SetLastError   true           private static extern bool CloseHandle              IntPtr hObject            private const short SW SHOW   5          private const uint TOKEN QUERY   0x0008          private const uint TOKEN DUPLICATE   0x0002          private const uint TOKEN ASSIGN PRIMARY   0x0001          private const int GENERIC ALL ACCESS   0x10000000          private const int STARTF USESHOWWINDOW   0x00000001          private const int STARTF FORCEONFEEDBACK   0x00000040          private const uint CREATE UNICODE ENVIRONMENT   0x00000400            private static bool LaunchProcessAsUser string cmdLine  IntPtr token  IntPtr envBlock                        bool result   false                PROCESS INFORMATION pi   new PROCESS INFORMATION                SECURITY ATTRIBUTES saProcess   new SECURITY ATTRIBUTES                SECURITY ATTRIBUTES saThread   new SECURITY ATTRIBUTES                saProcess nLength    uint Marshal SizeOf saProcess               saThread nLength    uint Marshal SizeOf saThread                STARTUPINFO si   new STARTUPINFO                si cb    uint Marshal SizeOf si                   if this member is NULL  the new process inherits the desktop               and window station of its parent process  If this member is               an empty string  the process does not inherit the desktop and               window station of its parent process  instead  the system               determines if a new desktop and window station need to be created                If the impersonated user already has a desktop  the system uses the               existing desktop               si lpDesktop     quot WinSta0 Default quot     Modify as needed             si dwFlags   STARTF USESHOWWINDOW   STARTF FORCEONFEEDBACK              si wShowWindow   SW SHOW                Set other si properties as required               result   CreateProcessAsUser                  token                  null                  cmdLine                  ref saProcess                  ref saThread                  false                  CREATE UNICODE ENVIRONMENT                  envBlock                  null                  ref si                  out pi                 if  result    false                                int error   Marshal GetLastWin32Error                    string message   String Format  quot CreateProcessAsUser Error   0  quot   error                   FilesUtilities WriteLog message FilesUtilities ErrorType Info                               return result                      private static IntPtr GetPrimaryToken int processId                        IntPtr token   IntPtr Zero              IntPtr primaryToken   IntPtr Zero              bool retVal   false              Process p   null               try                               p   Process GetProcessById processId                              catch  ArgumentException                                 string details   String Format  quot ProcessID  0  Not Available quot   processId                   FilesUtilities WriteLog details  FilesUtilities ErrorType Info                   throw                                Gets impersonation token             retVal   OpenProcessToken p Handle  TOKEN DUPLICATE  ref token               if  retVal    true                                 SECURITY ATTRIBUTES sa   new SECURITY ATTRIBUTES                    sa nLength    uint Marshal SizeOf sa                      Convert the impersonation token into Primary token                 retVal   DuplicateTokenEx                      token                      TOKEN ASSIGN PRIMARY   TOKEN DUPLICATE   TOKEN QUERY                      ref sa                       int SECURITY IMPERSONATION LEVEL SecurityIdentification                       int TOKEN TYPE TokenPrimary                      ref primaryToken                      Close the Token that was previously opened                  CloseHandle token                   if  retVal    false                                        string message   String Format  quot DuplicateTokenEx Error   0  quot   Marshal GetLastWin32Error                         FilesUtilities WriteLog message  FilesUtilities ErrorType Info                                                  else                                string message   String Format  quot OpenProcessToken Error   0  quot   Marshal GetLastWin32Error                     FilesUtilities WriteLog message  FilesUtilities ErrorType Info                                 We ll Close this token after it is used              return primaryToken                      private static IntPtr GetEnvironmentBlock IntPtr token                         IntPtr envBlock   IntPtr Zero              bool retVal   CreateEnvironmentBlock ref envBlock  token  false               if  retVal    false                                   Environment Block  things like common paths to My Documents etc                    Will not be created if  quot false quot                    It should not adversley affect CreateProcessAsUser                   string message   String Format  quot CreateEnvironmentBlock Error   0  quot   Marshal GetLastWin32Error                     FilesUtilities WriteLog message  FilesUtilities ErrorType Info                              return envBlock                     public static bool Launch string appCmdLine    int processId                           bool ret   false                 Either specify the processID explicitly               Or try to get it from a process owned by the user                In this case assuming there is only one explorer exe              Process   ps   Process GetProcessesByName  quot explorer quot                int processId   -1    processId             if  ps Length  gt  0                                processId   ps 0  Id                             if  processId  gt  1                                IntPtr token   GetPrimaryToken processId                    if  token    IntPtr Zero                                         IntPtr envBlock   GetEnvironmentBlock token                       ret   LaunchProcessAsUser appCmdLine  token  envBlock                       if  envBlock    IntPtr Zero                          DestroyEnvironmentBlock envBlock                        CloseHandle token                                                return ret                    And to execute   simply call like this   string szCmdline    quot AbsolutePathToYourExe  ExeNameWithoutExtension quot   ProcessAsUser Launch szCmdline

User · Answer

This will never work  at least not under Windows Vista or later  The key problem is that you re trying to execute this from within a Windows Service  rather than a standard Windows application  The code you ve shown will work perfectly in a Windows Forms  WPF  or Console application  but it won t work at all in a Windows Service   Windows Services cannot start additional applications because they are not running in the context of any particular user  Unlike regular Windows applications  services are now run in an isolated session and are prohibited from interacting with a user or the desktop  This leaves no place for the application to be run   More information is available in the answers to these related questions    How can a Windows Service start a process when a Timer event is raised  which process in windows is user specific  windows service  allow service to interact with desktop    The best solution to your problem  as you ve probably figured out by now  is to create a standard Windows application instead of a service  These are designed to be run by a particular user and are associated with that user s desktop  This way  you can run additional applications whenever you want  using the code that you ve already shown   Another possible solution  assuming that your Console application does not require an interface or output of any sort  is to instruct the process not to create a window  This will prevent Windows from blocking the creation of your process  because it will no longer request that a Console window be created  You can find the relevant code in this answer to a related question

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System Diagnostics Process Start  Exe Name

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Top answer with most upvotes isn t wrong but still the opposite of what I would post  I say it will totally work to start an exe file and you can do this in the context of any user  Logically you just can t have any user interface or ask for user input     Here is my advice    Create a simple Console Application that does what your service should do right on start without user interaction  I really recommend not using the Windows Service project type especially because you  currently  can t using  NET Core  Add code to start your exe you want to call from service   Example to start e g  plink exe  You could even listen to the output   var psi   new ProcessStartInfo         FileName      Client plink exe     path to your   exe     Arguments    -telnet -P 23 127 0 0 1 -l myUsername -raw     arguments     RedirectStandardError   true      RedirectStandardOutput   true      RedirectStandardInput   true      UseShellExecute   false      CreateNoWindow   true   no window  you can t show it anyway     var p   Process Start psi      Use NSSM  Non-Sucking Service Manager  to register that Console Application as service  NSSM can be controlled via command line and can show an UI to configure the service or you configure it via command line  You can run the service in the context of any user if you know the login data of that user    I took LocalSystem account which is default and more than Local Service  It worked fine without having to enter login information of a specific user  I didn t even tick the checkbox  Allow service to interact with desktop  which you could if you need higher permissions     Lastly I just want to say how funny it is that the top answer says quite the opposite of my answer and still both of us are right it s just how you interpret the question  -D  If you now say but you can t with the windows service project type - You CAN but I had this before and installation was sketchy and it was maybe kind of an unintentional hack until I found NSSM

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You can execute an  exe from a Windows service very well in Windows XP  I have done it myself in the past   You need to make sure you had checked the option  Allow to interact with the Desktop  in the Windows service properties   If that is not done  it will not execute   I need to check in Windows 7 or Vista as these versions requires additional security privileges so it may throw an error  but I am quite sure it can be achieved either directly or indirectly  For XP I am certain as I had done it myself

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I think You are copying the  exe to different location  This might be the problem I guess  When you copy the exe  you are not copying its dependencies   So  what you can do is  put all dependent dlls in GAC so that any  net exe can access it  Else  do not copy the exe to new location  Just create a environment variable and call the exe in your c   Since the path is defined in environment variables  the exe is can be accessed by your c  program   Update   previously I had some kind of same issue in my c  net 3 5 project in which I was trying to run a  exe file from c  net code and that exe was nothing but the another project exe where i added few supporting dlls for my functionality  and those dlls methods I was using in my exe application  At last I resolved this by creating that application as a separate project to the same solution and i added that project output to my deployment project  According to this scenario I answered  If its not what he wants then I am extremely sorry

[c#] How can I run an EXE program from a Windows Service using C#?

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