Develop Reference

open restore point dialog c#

I am trying to open the restore point dialog from C# like
I'm using the following code:
Process.Start("SystemPropertiesProtection");
and from cmd:
public static string ExecuteCMD(IEnumerable<string> commands,
bool inBackground,
bool runAsAdministrator ,
bool WaitProcessForExit)
{
try
{
Process p = new Process();
p.StartInfo.FileName = "cmd.exe";
if (commands.Any())
{
p.StartInfo.Arguments = #" /C " + string.Join("&&", commands);
}
if (runAsAdministrator)
{
p.StartInfo.Verb = "runas";
}
if (inBackground)
{
p.StartInfo.CreateNoWindow = true;
p.StartInfo.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden;
}
else
{
p.StartInfo.RedirectStandardInput = true;
p.StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = true;
p.StartInfo.RedirectStandardError = true;
p.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = false;
}
p.OutputDataReceived += (sender, e) => { MessageBox.Show(e.Data); };
p.ErrorDataReceived += (sender, e) => { MessageBox.Show(e.Data); };
p.Start();
if (WaitProcessForExit)
{
p.WaitForExit();
}
return "";// p.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd();
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
FRM_MSG f = new FRM_MSG();
f.ShowDLG(" ",
ex.Message + "\n" + ex.StackTrace.ToString(),
FRM_MSG.MSGIcon.Error,
FRM_MSG.BTNS.One,
new string[] { "Ok" });
throw ex;
}
}
Executor.ExecuteCMD(new string[] { "SystemPropertiesProtection" }, true, false, false);
and even create shortcut to create restore point like this:
and open this shortcut with:
Process.Start(RestorePointShortcutFilePath);
but they always open three tabs and don't open the restore point tab
How do I open restore point dialog like shown on first image which has 5 tabs and not 3 tabs, my OS is Windows 7 64 bit? Thanks.

The issue that you're seeing is because of the File System Redirector which is occurring because you're running your program as 32-bit on your 64-bit OS. Therefore, you're executing %windir%\SysWOW64\SystemPropertiesProtection.exe (ex: C:\Windows\SysWOW64\SystemPropertiesProtection.exe).
There are a few ways to avoid this issue. Uncheck "Prefer 32-bit" (Project => <project name> Properties => Build => uncheck 'Prefer 32-bit'). Compile as x64, or check if your application is running as 32-bit on a 64-bit OS. If so, set the appropriate fully-qualified filename.
The documentation states:
32-bit applications can access the native system directory by
substituting %windir%\Sysnative for %windir%\System32. WOW64
recognizes Sysnative as a special alias used to indicate that the file
system should not redirect the access. This mechanism is flexible and
easy to use, therefore, it is the recommended mechanism to bypass file
system redirection. Note that 64-bit applications cannot use the
Sysnative alias as it is a virtual directory not a real one.
Try the following:
Create a new Windows Forms App (.NET Framework)
Add an Application Manifest to your project
Note: This is used to prompt the user to execute the program as Administrator.
In VS menu, click Project
Select Add New Item...
Select Application Manifest File (Windows only)
Click Add
In app.manifest, replace
<requestedExecutionLevel level="asInvoker" uiAccess="false" />
with
<requestedExecutionLevel level="requireAdministrator" uiAccess="false" />
Add the following using directives:
using System.IO;
using System.Diagnostics;
private void OpenSystemPropertiesProtection()
{
string filename = System.IO.Path.Combine(Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("windir"), "System32", "SystemPropertiesProtection.exe");
//environment variable windir has the same value as SystemRoot
//use 'Sysnative' to access 64-bit files (in System32) if program is running as 32-bit process
//use 'SysWow64' to access 32-bit files on 64-bit OS
if (Environment.Is64BitOperatingSystem && !Environment.Is64BitProcess)
filename = System.IO.Path.Combine(Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("windir"), "SysNative", "SystemPropertiesProtection.exe");
Debug.WriteLine($"filename: {filename}");
ProcessStartInfo startInfo = new ProcessStartInfo(filename);
startInfo.UseShellExecute = true;
startInfo.WorkingDirectory = System.IO.Path.GetDirectoryName(filename);
Process.Start(startInfo);
}
Resources:
File System Redirector
Running 32-bit Applications

Use ShellExecute to execute the command.
ProcessStartInfo info = new ProcessStartInfo();
info.FileName = "SystemPropertiesProtection";
info.UseShellExecute = true;
Process.Start(info);
I have tested this on Windows 11, but it will probably also work on Windows 7. Be aware that Windows 7 has reached end-of-life back in 2020. It shouldn't be used anymore.

calling devcon from inside windows forms not working

Plan
The plan is to disable and subsequently enable a device from inside a windows forms application. To test the first building block of my plan, I open cmd with admin privileges and the following works perfectly:
> devcon hwids =ports
> devcon hwids *VID_10C4*
> devcon disable *VID_10C4*
> devcon enable *VID_10C4*
I can see the device being disabled and enabled again in device manager.
I can also achieve all of this by putting the commands into a batch file and running it from cmd with admin privileges. The above tells me that my plan is essentially good.
Application
However, what I actually want to do is achieve the same thing from inside a windows forms application:
I've set the following in the app manifest:
requestedExecutionLevel level="requireAdministrator" uiAccess="false"
For the sake of baby steps, I have checked this, just to ensure that there are no stupid mistakes in paths and whatnot. And it works just fine. The log file shows me the expected output from the dir command.
// Build String
string strCmdText =
"'/c cd " + prodPath +
" && dir " +
" > logs\\logFileEnablePrt.txt \"'";
// Run command
var p = new System.Diagnostics.Process();
var psi = new ProcessStartInfo("CMD.exe", strCmdText);
psi.Verb = "runas"; // admin rights
p.StartInfo = psi;
p.Start();
p.WaitForExit();
However, this does not work. It always returns an empty log file and does not change the device as expected:
// Build String
string strCmdText =
"'/c cd " + prodPath +
" && devcon hwids =ports " +
" > logs\\logFileEnablePrt.txt \"'";
// Run command
var p = new System.Diagnostics.Process();
var psi = new ProcessStartInfo("CMD.exe", strCmdText);
psi.Verb = "runas"; // admin rights
p.StartInfo = psi;
p.Start();
p.WaitForExit();
Error from cmd window is :
'devcon' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.
What's going on?
The above has me stumped. I've proved the commands work. I've proved my C# code works. But when I join the 2 together, it doesn't work...
NB: My C# program is running on my D: drive, if that makes any difference...
Updates Based on Comments
#Compo
Using your code, it does exactly the same as with mine. I see an empty log file & no changes made to the device. I've altered the /c to /k so I can see what going on the cmd terminal and I see this:
I've even tried your code C:\\Windows\\System32\\devcon hwids =usb pointing directly at devcon. Also tried \devcon.exe for completeness. The inexplicable error is :
I can see the flipping devcon.exe file sitting right there in the folder! Is there any reason it would not recognise it?
Also, with the command as you wrote it, the log file name is actually named logFileEnablePrt.txt'. I agree that your command looks right, so don't ask me why this happens!
#Panagiotis Kanavos
using your code, I get the following error:
This is at the line p.Start();. I tried putting in devcon.exe, and even the whole path (I checked the folder was in my PATH, and it is). Can't get past this. I actually stumbled on that answer you shared and arrived at this brick wall already.

Here is the code works for me, I don't have ports devices so I change it to usb.
public static void Main()
{
string prodPath = #"c:\devcon\x64";
// Build String
string strCmdText =
"/c \"cd /d " + prodPath +
" && devcon hwids =usb " +
" > log.txt \"";
// Run command
var p = new Process();
var psi = new ProcessStartInfo("CMD.exe", strCmdText);
psi.Verb = "runas"; // admin rights
p.StartInfo = psi;
p.Start();
p.WaitForExit();
}

Worked through a few steps and think I may have an answer...
Just specifying devcon fails as expected...windows cant find the exe as the folder it is in is not in the %PATH% variable in windows..
IF I specify the full path however it works...
It wasnt clear from your original code but if your copy of devcon is sitting in either System32 or Syswow directories you may be hitting an emulation issue as well...see here....
EDIT1:: A way to prove this would be to do Direcory.GetFiles(directory containing devcon) and see if the results line up with what you expect
As for passing arguments through to devcon I'd try something like this as opposed to trying to concatenate one giant cmd line..
A similar example but with netstat:
EDIT 2::Another example but with devcon:
The target platform here for the build was x64
EDIT3::
With my application build set to x86:

After working through the answers and comments above, I seem to have something that reliably works, which obviously I'd like to share back for scrutiny and future use.
So, my function ended up looking like this:
private int enablePort(string action)
{
while (true)
{
// Command Arg
string devconPath = #"c:\Windows\SysNative";
string strCmdText =
"'/c \"cd /d \"" +
devconPath +
"\" && c:\\Windows\\SysNative\\devcon " + action + " *VID_10C4* " +
"> \"" + prodPath + "\\logs\\logFileEnablePrt.txt\"\"";
// Process
var p = new Process();
var psi = new ProcessStartInfo()
{
Arguments = strCmdText,
Verb = "runas",
FileName = "CMD.exe",
UseShellExecute = true
};
p.StartInfo = psi;
p.Start();
p.WaitForExit();
// Grab log output
string logPath = prodPath + "\\logs\\logFileEnablePrt.txt";
Console.WriteLine("logPath = " + logPath);
string tempFile = System.IO.File.ReadAllText(logPath);
System.Console.WriteLine("Contents of WriteText.txt = \n{0}", tempFile);
// Check if it worked
var success = false;
if (tempFile.Contains(action))
{
success = true;
return 0;
}
// Error -> Allow user to try again!
if (MessageBox.Show("Was unable to " + action + " Test Jig COM port. Unlug & Replug USB. Check COM port is enabled if not working.", "COM Port Problem", MessageBoxButtons.YesNo, MessageBoxIcon.Question) == DialogResult.No)
{
return -1;
}
}
}
And the calling code was:
this.enablePort("disable");
int milliseconds = 3000;
await Task.Delay(milliseconds);
this.enablePort("enable");
As you can see in the code above, I've logged everything to see what was going on... Stepping through with the debugger, I can now see after the disable:
USB\VID_10C4&PID_EA60\0001 : Disabled
1 device(s) disabled.
And then after the enable:
USB\VID_10C4&PID_EA60\0001 : Enabled
1 device(s) are enabled.
The one extra thing I need to stress is that during testing, I thought I could hook a serial peripheral onto the port and determine whether it could disable and enable successfully by checking the connection. THIS DOES NOT WORK. The above code only works when the port is idle. Perhaps someone who understands the underlying software could hazard an explanation of why this is.

Run CMD command

I am trying to run the below code and expect to get a file with the name abc.txt with Dir information. I get the Command prompt but the commands are not running.
There are lot's of questions in StackOverFlow which discuss this, but nothing mentioned there is either required or works.
ProcessStartInfo info = new ProcessStartInfo();
info.FileName = "cmd.exe";
info.RedirectStandardInput = true;
info.UseShellExecute = false;
Process p = Process.Start(info);
if (p.StandardInput.BaseStream.CanWrite)
{
p.StandardInput.WriteLine("dir >>c:\abc.txt");
}

You have to escape your "\" in the sw.WriteLine for c:\
just add a # before like this:
sw.WriteLine(#"dir >>c:\abc.txt");
Consider: You may have to run aour application under an elevated administrative context to write to c:\abc.txt

Proccess info gives an error but a bat file does not

I try to start ilasm from C# using class ProcessInfo
string arguments = string.Format("\"{0}\" /exe /output:\"{1}\" /debug=IMPL", ilFullFileName, exeFileFullName);
ProcessStartInfo processStartInfo = new ProcessStartInfo(CILCompiler, arguments);
processStartInfo.UseShellExecute = false;
processStartInfo.CreateNoWindow = false;
processStartInfo.WorkingDirectory = #"c:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\";
using (Process process = Process.Start(processStartInfo))
{
process.WaitForExit();
}
the arguments are:
"path_to_il.il" /exe /output:"path_to_exe.exe" /debug=IMPL
and then it gives me the error:
The application was unable to start correctly (0xc0000007b). Click Ok to close the application.
The odd part of that is, when I do exactly the same actions manually using bat file
"c:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\ilasm.exe" "path_to_il.il" /exe /output:"path_to_exe.exe" /debug=IMPL
pause
it does work.
What did I miss?

I think you need to set the file name as well:
processStartInfo.FileName = "ilasm.exe";

C#.Net: Why is my Process.Start() hanging?

I'm trying to run a batch file, as another user, from my web app. For some reason, the batch file hangs! I can see "cmd.exe" running in the task manager, but it just sits there forever, unable to be killed, and the batch file is not running. Here's my code:
SecureString password = new SecureString();
foreach (char c in "mypassword".ToCharArray())
password.AppendChar(c);
ProcessStartInfo psi = new ProcessStartInfo();
psi.WorkingDirectory = #"c:\build";
psi.FileName = Environment.SystemDirectory + #"\cmd.exe";
psi.Arguments = "/q /c build.cmd";
psi.UseShellExecute = false;
psi.UserName = "builder";
psi.Password = password;
Process.Start(psi);
If you didn't guess, this batch file builds my application (a different application than the one that is executing this command).
The Process.Start(psi); line returns immediately, as it should, but the batch file just seems to hang, without executing. Any ideas?
EDIT: See my answer below for the contents of the batch file.
The output.txt never gets created.
I added these lines:
psi.RedirectStandardOutput = true;
Process p = Process.Start(psi);
String outp = p.StandardOutput.ReadLine();
and stepped through them in debug mode. The code hangs on the ReadLine(). I'm stumped!

I believe I've found the answer. It seems that Microsoft, in all their infinite wisdom, has blocked batch files from being executed by IIS in Windows Server 2003. Brenden Tompkins has a work-around here:
http://codebetter.com/blogs/brendan.tompkins/archive/2004/05/13/13484.aspx
That won't work for me, because my batch file uses IF and GOTO, but it would definitely work for simple batch files.

Why not just do all the work in C# instead of using batch files?
I was bored so i wrote this real quick, it's just an outline of how I would do it since I don't know what the command line switches do or the file paths.
using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Text;
using System.Security;
using System.Diagnostics;
namespace asdf
{
class StackoverflowQuestion
{
private const string MSBUILD = #"path\to\msbuild.exe";
private const string BMAIL = #"path\to\bmail.exe";
private const string WORKING_DIR = #"path\to\working_directory";
private string stdout;
private Process p;
public void DoWork()
{
// build project
StartProcess(MSBUILD, "myproject.csproj /t:Build", true);
}
public void StartProcess(string file, string args, bool redirectStdout)
{
SecureString password = new SecureString();
foreach (char c in "mypassword".ToCharArray())
password.AppendChar(c);
ProcessStartInfo psi = new ProcessStartInfo();
p = new Process();
psi.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden;
psi.WorkingDirectory = WORKING_DIR;
psi.FileName = file;
psi.UseShellExecute = false;
psi.RedirectStandardOutput = redirectStdout;
psi.UserName = "builder";
psi.Password = password;
p.StartInfo = psi;
p.EnableRaisingEvents = true;
p.Exited += new EventHandler(p_Exited);
p.Start();
if (redirectStdout)
{
stdout = p.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd();
}
}
void p_Exited(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
if (p.ExitCode != 0)
{
// failed
StringBuilder args = new StringBuilder();
args.Append("-s k2smtpout.secureserver.net ");
args.Append("-f build#example.com ");
args.Append("-t josh#example.com ");
args.Append("-a \"Build failed.\" ");
args.AppendFormat("-m {0} -h", stdout);
// send email
StartProcess(BMAIL, args.ToString(), false);
}
}
}
}

Without seeing the build.cmd it's hard to tell what is going on, however, you should build the path using Path.Combine(arg1, arg2); It's the correct way to build a path.
Path.Combine( Environment.SystemDirectory, "cmd.exe" );
I don't remember now but don't you have to set UseShellExecute = true ?

Another possibility to "debug" it is to use standardoutput and then read from it:
psi.RedirectStandardOutput = True;
Process proc = Process.Start(psi);
String whatever = proc.StandardOutput.ReadLine();

In order to "see" what's going on, I'd suggest you transform the process into something more interactive (turn off Echo off) and put some "prints" to see if anything is actually happening. What is in the output.txt file after you run this?
Does the bmail actually executes?
Put some prints after/before to see what's going on.
Also add "#" to the arguments, just in case:
psi.Arguments = #"/q /c build.cmd";
It has to be something very simple :)

My guess would be that the build.cmd is waiting for some sort of user-interaction/reply. If you log the output of the command with the "> logfile.txt" operator at the end, it might help you find the problem.

Here's the contents of build.cmd:
#echo off
set path=C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727;%path%
msbuild myproject.csproj /t:Build > output.txt
IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 1 goto :end
:error
bmail -s k2smtpout.secureserver.net -f build#example.com -t josh#example.com -a "Build failed." -m output.txt -h
:end
del output.txt
As you can see, I'm careful not to output anything. It all goes to a file that gets emailed to me if the build happens to fail. I've actually been running this file as a scheduled task nightly for quite a while now. I'm trying to build a web app that allows me to run it on demand.
Thanks for everyone's help so far! The Path.Combine tip was particularly useful.

I think cmd.exe hangs if the parameters are incorrect.
If the batch executes correctly then I would just shell execute it like this instead.
ProcessStartInfo psi = new ProcessStartInfo();
Process p = new Process();
psi.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden;
psi.WorkingDirectory = #"c:\build";
psi.FileName = #"C:\build\build.cmd";
psi.UseShellExecute = true;
psi.UserName = "builder";
psi.Password = password;
p.StartInfo = psi;
p.Start();
Also it could be that cmd.exe just can't find build.cmd so why not give the full path to the file?

What are the endlines of you batch? If the code hangs on ReadLine, then the problem might be that it's unable to read the batch file…