How to create Windows service and launch desktop app
A good artical introduce how to create and install Windows service via C#. The artical link is attached for future refer.
http://www.cnblogs.com/wuhuacong/archive/2009/02/11/1381428.html
Call a program via Windows service is not easy as we used before. We cannot use Process to launch an program with UI. Following method got from MSDN forum is very useful:
using System; using System.Runtime.InteropServices; using System.Diagnostics; namespace WindowsServiceLaunchingExe { class NativeMethods { [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)] public struct PROCESS_INFORMATION { public IntPtr hProcess; public IntPtr hThread; public System.UInt32 dwProcessId; public System.UInt32 dwThreadId; } [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)] public struct SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES { public System.UInt32 nLength; public IntPtr lpSecurityDescriptor; public bool bInheritHandle; } [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)] public struct STARTUPINFO { public System.UInt32 cb; public string lpReserved; public string lpDesktop; public string lpTitle; public System.UInt32 dwX; public System.UInt32 dwY; public System.UInt32 dwXSize; public System.UInt32 dwYSize; public System.UInt32 dwXCountChars; public System.UInt32 dwYCountChars; public System.UInt32 dwFillAttribute; public System.UInt32 dwFlags; public short wShowWindow; public short cbReserved2; public IntPtr lpReserved2; public IntPtr hStdInput; public IntPtr hStdOutput; public IntPtr hStdError; } [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)] public struct PROFILEINFO { public int dwSize; public int dwFlags; [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)] public string lpUserName; [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)] public string lpProfilePath; [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)] public string lpDefaultPath; [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)] public string lpServerName; [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)] public string lpPolicyPath; public IntPtr hProfile; } internal enum SECURITY_IMPERSONATION_LEVEL { SecurityAnonymous = 0, SecurityIdentification = 1, SecurityImpersonation = 2, SecurityDelegation = 3 } internal enum TOKEN_TYPE { TokenPrimary = 1, TokenImpersonation = 2 } [DllImport("advapi32.dll", SetLastError = true, CharSet = CharSet.Auto)] 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, ref PROCESS_INFORMATION lpProcessInformation); [DllImport("advapi32.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Auto, SetLastError = true)] public static extern bool DuplicateTokenEx(IntPtr hExistingToken, uint dwDesiredAccess, ref SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES lpTokenAttributes, SECURITY_IMPERSONATION_LEVEL ImpersonationLevel, TOKEN_TYPE TokenType, ref IntPtr phNewToken); [DllImport("advapi32.dll", SetLastError = true)] private static extern bool OpenProcessToken(IntPtr ProcessHandle, int DesiredAccess, ref IntPtr TokenHandle); [DllImport("userenv.dll", SetLastError = true)] private static extern bool CreateEnvironmentBlock(ref IntPtr lpEnvironment, IntPtr hToken, bool bInherit); [DllImport("userenv.dll", SetLastError = true)] private static extern bool DestroyEnvironmentBlock(IntPtr lpEnvironment); private const short SW_SHOW = 1; private const short SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED = 7; private const int TOKEN_QUERY = 8; private const int TOKEN_DUPLICATE = 2; private const int TOKEN_ASSIGN_PRIMARY = 1; private const int GENERIC_ALL_ACCESS = 268435456; private const int STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW = 1; private const int STARTF_FORCEONFEEDBACK = 64; private const int CREATE_UNICODE_ENVIRONMENT = 0x00000400; private const string gs_EXPLORER = "explorer"; public static void LaunchProcess(string Ps_CmdLine) { IntPtr li_Token = default(IntPtr); IntPtr li_EnvBlock = default(IntPtr); Process[] lObj_Processes = Process.GetProcessesByName(gs_EXPLORER); // Get explorer.exe id // If process not found if (lObj_Processes.Length == 0) { // Exit routine return; } // Get primary token for the user currently logged in li_Token = GetPrimaryToken(lObj_Processes[0].Id); // If token is nothing if (li_Token.Equals(IntPtr.Zero)) { // Exit routine return; } // Get environment block li_EnvBlock = GetEnvironmentBlock(li_Token); // Launch the process using the environment block and primary token LaunchProcessAsUser(Ps_CmdLine, li_Token, li_EnvBlock); // If no valid enviroment block found if (li_EnvBlock.Equals(IntPtr.Zero)) { // Exit routine return; } // Destroy environment block. Free environment variables created by the // CreateEnvironmentBlock function. DestroyEnvironmentBlock(li_EnvBlock); } private static IntPtr GetPrimaryToken(int Pi_ProcessId) { IntPtr li_Token = IntPtr.Zero; IntPtr li_PrimaryToken = IntPtr.Zero; bool lb_ReturnValue = false; Process lObj_Process = Process.GetProcessById(Pi_ProcessId); SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES lObj_SecurityAttributes = default(SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES); // Get process by id // Open a handle to the access token associated with a process. The access token // is a runtime object that represents a user account. lb_ReturnValue = OpenProcessToken(lObj_Process.Handle, TOKEN_DUPLICATE, ref li_Token); // If successfull in opening handle to token associated with process if (lb_ReturnValue) { // Create security attributes to pass to the DuplicateTokenEx function lObj_SecurityAttributes = new SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES(); lObj_SecurityAttributes.nLength = Convert.ToUInt32(Marshal.SizeOf(lObj_SecurityAttributes)); // Create a new access token that duplicates an existing token. This function // can create either a primary token or an impersonation token. lb_ReturnValue = DuplicateTokenEx(li_Token, Convert.ToUInt32(TOKEN_ASSIGN_PRIMARY | TOKEN_DUPLICATE | TOKEN_QUERY), ref lObj_SecurityAttributes, SECURITY_IMPERSONATION_LEVEL.SecurityIdentification, TOKEN_TYPE.TokenPrimary, ref li_PrimaryToken); // If un-successful in duplication of the token if (!lb_ReturnValue) { // Throw exception throw new Exception(string.Format("DuplicateTokenEx Error: {0}", Marshal.GetLastWin32Error())); } } else { // If un-successful in opening handle for token then throw exception throw new Exception(string.Format("OpenProcessToken Error: {0}", Marshal.GetLastWin32Error())); } // Return primary token return li_PrimaryToken; } private static IntPtr GetEnvironmentBlock(IntPtr Pi_Token) { IntPtr li_EnvBlock = IntPtr.Zero; bool lb_ReturnValue = CreateEnvironmentBlock(ref li_EnvBlock, Pi_Token, false); // Retrieve the environment variables for the specified user. // This block can then be passed to the CreateProcessAsUser function. // If not successful in creation of environment block then if (!lb_ReturnValue) { // Throw exception throw new Exception(string.Format("CreateEnvironmentBlock Error: {0}", Marshal.GetLastWin32Error())); } // Return the retrieved environment block return li_EnvBlock; } private static void LaunchProcessAsUser(string Ps_CmdLine, IntPtr Pi_Token, IntPtr Pi_EnvBlock) { bool lb_Result = false; PROCESS_INFORMATION lObj_ProcessInformation = default(PROCESS_INFORMATION); SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES lObj_ProcessAttributes = default(SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES); SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES lObj_ThreadAttributes = default(SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES); STARTUPINFO lObj_StartupInfo = default(STARTUPINFO); // Information about the newly created process and its primary thread. lObj_ProcessInformation = new PROCESS_INFORMATION(); // Create security attributes to pass to the CreateProcessAsUser function lObj_ProcessAttributes = new SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES(); lObj_ProcessAttributes.nLength = Convert.ToUInt32(Marshal.SizeOf(lObj_ProcessAttributes)); lObj_ThreadAttributes = new SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES(); lObj_ThreadAttributes.nLength = Convert.ToUInt32(Marshal.SizeOf(lObj_ThreadAttributes)); // To specify the window station, desktop, standard handles, and appearance of the // main window for the new process. lObj_StartupInfo = new STARTUPINFO(); lObj_StartupInfo.cb = Convert.ToUInt32(Marshal.SizeOf(lObj_StartupInfo)); lObj_StartupInfo.lpDesktop = null; lObj_StartupInfo.dwFlags = Convert.ToUInt32(STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW | STARTF_FORCEONFEEDBACK); lObj_StartupInfo.wShowWindow = SW_SHOW; // Creates a new process and its primary thread. The new process runs in the // security context of the user represented by the specified token. lb_Result = CreateProcessAsUser(Pi_Token, null, Ps_CmdLine, ref lObj_ProcessAttributes, ref lObj_ThreadAttributes, true, CREATE_UNICODE_ENVIRONMENT, Pi_EnvBlock, null, ref lObj_StartupInfo, ref lObj_ProcessInformation); // If create process return false then if (!lb_Result) { // Throw exception throw new Exception(string.Format("CreateProcessAsUser Error: {0}", Marshal.GetLastWin32Error())); } } } }
To use the code, create a new windows service project, and add code like the following one:
using System; using System.Diagnostics; using System.ServiceProcess; using System.Timers; namespace WindowsServiceLaunchingExe { public partial class ExeLauncherSvc : ServiceBase { public ExeLauncherSvc() { InitializeComponent(); } Timer timer; protected override void OnStart(string[] args) { timer = new Timer(5000); timer.Elapsed += (sender, e) => { try { timer.Stop(); EventLog.WriteEntry("WindowsServiceLaunchingExe", "Launching process..."); NativeMethods.LaunchProcess(@"C:\Windows\notepad.exe"); } catch (Exception ex) { EventLog.WriteEntry("WindowsServiceLaunchingExe", ex.Message); } }; timer.Start(); } protected override void OnStop() { } } }
More details and code, please refer http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/990e7c4a-afa7-47aa-b9a6-d5b6beb19f41/call-a-program-via-windows-service.
