Error starting a new process from the main app

[kerenor]

Hi,

This is most likely an MSIX question and not an Advanced Installer question, but regardless I'd appreciate your help.


I have a c# app that needs to start a new process that runs a .bat file. This fails with the error

Code: Select all

Unable to start C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\App.E_1.0.0.67_x64__5c1j8dm4w74ew\utils\runtime_analyzer.bat. Exception received: System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception (1726): The remote procedure call failed.
   at System.Diagnostics.Process.StartWithShellExecuteEx(ProcessStartInfo startInfo)
   at System.Diagnostics.Process.Start()
   at Worker.ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken stoppingToken)

I opened PowerShell in that MSIX app using Hover (many thanks!) to see if I can run the batch file from there and saw that directly running the batch file works:

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PS C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\App.E_1.0.0.67_x64__5c1j8dm4w74ew> .\utils\runtime_analyzer.bat
 [... does whatever it needs to do, but in this process]

But indeed starting a new process doesn't:

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PS C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\App.E_1.0.0.67_x64__5c1j8dm4w74ew> Start-Process .\utils\runtime_analyzer.bat
Start-Process : This command cannot be run due to the error: The remote procedure call failed.
At line:1 char:1
+ Start-Process  .\utils\runtime_analyzer.bat
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (:) [Start-Process], InvalidOperationException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidOperationException,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.StartProcessCommand

Needless to say, outside of MSIX context starting a new process does work.

Would appreciate any ideas on what am I doing wrong and how to start a new process from a batch file inside MSIX (Starting new exe processes is possible, from other tests done)

Many thanks!
Keren

[Catalin]

Hello Keren,

That might be a MSIX limitation, as you do not have access from your MSIX app outside of the container - due to security reasons.

If possible, please allow me some more time to discuss this with our colleagues and I will followup on this thread as soon as I will have more information.

Thank you for your patience!

Best regards,
Catalin

[Catalin]

Hello Keren,

So I've been testing this and it looks like this works just fine.

Here would be the C# code that launches the batch file:

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    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            ProcessStartInfo psi = new ProcessStartInfo();
            psi.FileName = @"C:\Users\Catalin\Desktop\hello.bat";
            psi.CreateNoWindow = false;
            psi.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Normal;

            Process p = Process.Start(psi);
            p.WaitForExit();
        }
    }

After I install the MSIX and the application is launched (launchbat.exe), the BAT file is executed as expected.

Screenshot_104.png (95.87 KiB) Viewed 11290 times

Could you please make sure your MSIX has the "FullTrust" capability? You can check this in "Capabilities" page.

Screenshot_105.png (56.46 KiB) Viewed 11290 times

Best regards,
Catalin

[kerenor]

This is interesting, thanks Catalin for your response!
My package indeed has fullTrust capability, and in fact we have very similar c# code, but in our case it also sets the ProcessStartInfo to use shell execution, like so

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            psi.UseShellExecute = true;

Perhaps that is the cause of this behavior. If I have time I will try it without that and tell you if it works.
Do you know if perhaps that is some limitation with MSIX apps? (this flag differentiates between starting a process with ShellExecute vs CreateProcess)

Thanks

Keren

[Catalin]

You are always welcome, Keren!

Perhaps that is the cause of this behavior. If I have time I will try it without that and tell you if it works.

Do you know if perhaps that is some limitation with MSIX apps? (this flag differentiates between starting a process with ShellExecute vs CreateProcess)

To be fully honest with you, I am not quite familiar with that so I can not say for sure whether it is the cause of this or not.

Please keep me updated if this works without that line added.

Best regards,
Catalin

[kerenor]

Thanks for your support

just updating that it indeed runs without ShellExecute. Interesting!

[Catalin]

Thank you for your followup on this!

That is quite interesting, indeed.

Best regards,
Catalin