System.Diagnostics.Process.Start

[Ty Moffett]

I'm using a queue to hold a series of strings that are complete command line
arguments to start the silent/unattended installation of various pieces of
software. Here is some sample code.

1 Dim myProcess as New Process
2 myProcess.EnableRaiseEvents = True
3 myProcess.StartInfo.Filename = myQ.Dequeue ' The string value in this
instance is "c:\windowsXP-KB824146-x86-ENU.exe /u /n /z"
4 Do Until (myProcess.HasExited = True)
5 Loop

6 AutoLogon() ' Sets various registry keys.
7 RunOnce() ' Sets some more registry keys.
8 Shell("shutdown.exe -r -f -t 05") ' Forces a reboot of the system in 5
seconds.

The problem is that on line 4 it throws an exception "No Process is
associated with this object".

The other problem is that if I take out the do loop entirely the .exe fires
off and begins installation but the program doesn't wait for it to finish.
It immediately move on to 6, 7, and worst of all 8. Then the system reboots
mid-installation.

Is there a good way to make the thing wait until the installation is done
before continuing on? I piddled with Process.ExitCode as well with no luck.
Thanks in advance. =)

[AlexS]

I don't see myProcess.Start() anywhere. Looks like that's what you need.
Would be good also to throw in some Sleep() call inside loop.

HTH
Alex

"Ty Moffett" <tm******@solarc.com> wrote in message
news:eN**************@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...

I'm using a queue to hold a series of strings that are complete command line arguments to start the silent/unattended installation of various pieces of
software. Here is some sample code.

1 Dim myProcess as New Process
2 myProcess.EnableRaiseEvents = True
3 myProcess.StartInfo.Filename = myQ.Dequeue ' The string value in this
instance is "c:\windowsXP-KB824146-x86-ENU.exe /u /n /z"
4 Do Until (myProcess.HasExited = True)
5 Loop

6 AutoLogon() ' Sets various registry keys.
7 RunOnce() ' Sets some more registry keys.
8 Shell("shutdown.exe -r -f -t 05") ' Forces a reboot of the system in 5 seconds.

The problem is that on line 4 it throws an exception "No Process is
associated with this object".

The other problem is that if I take out the do loop entirely the .exe fires off and begins installation but the program doesn't wait for it to finish.
It immediately move on to 6, 7, and worst of all 8. Then the system reboots mid-installation.

Is there a good way to make the thing wait until the installation is done
before continuing on? I piddled with Process.ExitCode as well with no luck.

Thanks in advance. =)

[Fergus Cooney]

Hi Ty,

Still going for it. ;-)

If you have the filename and the arguments mixed,
myProcess.StartInfo.Filename = myQ.Dequeue

where it's "c:\windowsXP-KB824146-x86-ENU.exe /u /n /z",
it will look for a file called
"windowsXP-KB824146-x86-ENU.exe /u /n /z"
which it won't find, of course.

You need to separate the args out and have
myProcess.StartInfo.Filename = <just the file path>
myProcess.StartInfo.Arguments = <the arguments>

(as well as the Process.Start that Alex mentioned).

Regards,
Fergus

[Tom Shelton]

In article <eN**************@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl>, Ty Moffett wrote:

I'm using a queue to hold a series of strings that are complete command line
arguments to start the silent/unattended installation of various pieces of
software. Here is some sample code.

1 Dim myProcess as New Process
2 myProcess.EnableRaiseEvents = True
3 myProcess.StartInfo.Filename = myQ.Dequeue ' The string value in this
instance is "c:\windowsXP-KB824146-x86-ENU.exe /u /n /z"
4 Do Until (myProcess.HasExited = True)
5 Loop

6 AutoLogon() ' Sets various registry keys.
7 RunOnce() ' Sets some more registry keys.
8 Shell("shutdown.exe -r -f -t 05") ' Forces a reboot of the system in 5
seconds.

The problem is that on line 4 it throws an exception "No Process is
associated with this object".

The other problem is that if I take out the do loop entirely the .exe fires
off and begins installation but the program doesn't wait for it to finish.
It immediately move on to 6, 7, and worst of all 8. Then the system reboots
mid-installation.

Is there a good way to make the thing wait until the installation is done
before continuing on? I piddled with Process.ExitCode as well with no luck.
Thanks in advance. =)

Here is a stupid little example....

Option Strict On
Option Explicit On

Imports System.Collections
Imports System.Diagnostics

Module Module1

Private Class Command
Public Sub New(ByVal cmd As String, ByVal args As String)
Me.cmd = cmd
Me.args = args
End Sub

Public cmd As String
Public args As String
End Class

Sub Main()
Dim cmds() As Command = {New Command("cmd", "/c dir c:\windows
/p"), New Command("cmd", "/k echo hello, world")}
Dim q As New Queue(cmds)
Dim cmd As Command
Dim p As Process

Do While q.Count > 0
cmd = DirectCast(q.Dequeue(), Command)
p = Process.Start(cmd.cmd, cmd.args)
p.WaitForExit()
Loop
End Sub

End Module

HTH
--
Tom Shelton
MVP [Visual Basic]

[Ty Moffett]

Thank you both Gentlemen. I'll take yor advise and see what I can do.
Thanks again!

"Fergus Cooney" <fi*****@post.com> wrote in message
news:%2****************@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...

Hi Ty,

Still going for it. ;-)

If you have the filename and the arguments mixed,
myProcess.StartInfo.Filename = myQ.Dequeue

where it's "c:\windowsXP-KB824146-x86-ENU.exe /u /n /z",
it will look for a file called
"windowsXP-KB824146-x86-ENU.exe /u /n /z"
which it won't find, of course.

You need to separate the args out and have
myProcess.StartInfo.Filename = <just the file path>
myProcess.StartInfo.Arguments = <the arguments>

(as well as the Process.Start that Alex mentioned).

Regards,
Fergus

[Ty Moffett]

Ok, I'm now trying to use enumerator to put what is still in my queue into
the streamwriter so i can write it back to disk. I'm confused...this error
makes no sense to me. I'm sure I'm doing something dumb.

Do While myQ.GetEnumerator.MoveNext

sw = myQ.GetEnumerator.Current 'This line gets an exception: Enumeration
has not started. Call MoveNext.

Loop
Here is the main() code without the subroutines.

' Run the program

' read the first command from the queue

' run the command

' remove the item from the queue

' set automatic login information

' reboot

' rerun the program until the queue is empty

Module HandsOff

Public Sub main()

Dim fs As New FileStream("c:\HandsOff.txt", FileMode.OpenOrCreate,
FileAccess.ReadWrite)

Dim sr As New StreamReader(fs)

Dim sw As New StreamWriter(fs)

Dim line As String

line = sr.ReadLine()

Dim myQ As New Queue

Do Until line = Nothing

myQ.Enqueue(line)

line = sr.ReadLine

Loop

' Displays the properties and values of the Queue.

Console.WriteLine("myQ")

Console.WriteLine(ControlChars.Tab + "Count: {0}", myQ.Count)

Console.Write(ControlChars.Tab + "Values:")

PrintValues(myQ)

If myQ.Count > 0 Then

Dim myProcess As New Process

myProcess.EnableRaisingEvents = True

myProcess.StartInfo.FileName = myQ.Dequeue

myProcess.StartInfo.Arguments = myQ.Dequeue

'Write the remaining Queue members to the text file.

Do While myQ.GetEnumerator.MoveNext

sw = myQ.GetEnumerator.Current

Loop

'Start the process.

myProcess.Start()

Do Until (myProcess.HasExited = True)

Loop

'Registry hacks to enable automatic logon upon reboot

AutoLogon()

'Registry hacks to enable this program to start upon logon.

RunOnce()

'Reboot the computer.

Shell("shutdown.exe -r -f -t 05")

End If

'Registry hacks to disable automatic logon upon reboot.

UndoAutoLogon()

End Sub