Windows console application exe is not calling the main method when installed and system is logged off and logged in back

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Windows Console Application exe is not calling the main method when installed and system is logged off and logged in back I have created a windows console application and then its EXE using Visual Studio Installer ==> Setup Project. My requirement is that this application starts automatically when system reboots or is logoff/login . Fir this, i added the shortcut to Windows startup folder in setup project. After installing the exe, it gets start automatically. I can check this in task manager. But when system gets re start or log off and log in, the exe is not working. Though, in task manager it is showing as a running process but the main method is not getting called. Can anyone help me inn this? What I have tried: registery entry in LocalMachine>SOFTWARE>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersion>Run registery entry in CurrentUser>SOFTWARE>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersion>Run

What I have tried:

Above

Posted 6-Jul-17 22:50pm

tewary_manish

Updated 7-Jul-17 9:31am

Dave Kreskowiak

v6

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Arun Vasu 7-Jul-17 6:08am

Hi,
I hope your console application is doing background work,so you can achieve the goal using window service instead of console application.

tewary_manish 7-Jul-17 7:48am

windows service will not capture active window details, my requirement was to capture the foregroundwindow details. The windows service will not give you this. I tried and googled also. Thats y i decided to go for a console app and while deploying I am making it as a window application from properties=>application

Richard Deeming 7-Jul-17 15:26pm

Removing the content of your question after solutions have been posted is extremely rude!

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Dave Kreskowiak · Answer 1 · 2017-07-07T03:10:00

Solution 3

There is a problem with your code because there is no such thing as "the Main method isn't being called". If your console app is in Task Manager, your Main method was called. Period, end of discussion.

But, since we can't see your code, we can't possible tell you what you did wrong.

Posted 7-Jul-17 3:10am

Dave Kreskowiak

RickZeeland · Answer 2 · 2017-07-06T23:43:00

Maybe putting a shortcut in the Windows Startup folder will help, see: How to Make a Program Run at Startup on Any Computer[^]
But you probably already tried that.
A problem in Windows 10 is that the shortcut won't work if 'Administrator' privileges are set.

Some good answers can be found here: EXE in Startup folder not running Solved - Windows 10 Forums[^]

To run a program requiring admin access at startup in Windows 10, just create a shortcut (anywhere, I used the Startup folder itself) with "run as administrator" checked, then create a short batch file in the startup folder and use the 'start' command to launch the shortcut (omit the .lnk extension and the path, else start won't work, so use 'cd' to change to the shortcut directory first). Example:

C#

@echo off
cd "C:\Users\...\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup"
start ThrottleStop

RickZeeland · Answer 3 · 2017-07-07T00:45:00

Solution 2

A way to do it programmatically is to use Task Scheduler, here is an example that shows the manual way: Elevated Program Shortcut without UAC Prompt - Create - Windows 7 Help Forums[^]
There are several ways to program Task Scheduler, via the API, or via DOS commands.
For simplicity I would recommend using DOS commands.
Good luck :)

Posted 7-Jul-17 0:45am

RickZeeland

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tewary_manish 7-Jul-17 7:51am

Let me tell you what I have done so far:

You told me that it could be the problem of set not installed as "Run As Administrator". So Just for testing, i uninstall that and installed again with Run As Admin. Application started just after installation automatically. But when I logged of and logged in back, again the same problem.

I can see that in task manager as an active process but it is not performing its functionality. I told you earlier also that not even the first line of the "MAIN METHOD" is executing.

SO I THINK, THERE IS SOME OTHER PROBLEM. EVEN IF I MAKE MY INSTALLER RUN AS ADMIN PROGRAMMATIC, IT WILL NOT RUN AFTER LOGIN BACK WHICH IS THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM.

My question is here is why the application is not running even though it is showing as active task in task manager?

RickZeeland 7-Jul-17 9:03am

I don't have a crystal ball, so I don't know what exactly you did to create the console app, did you do anything special like modifying the .manifest file maybe ?
Can you show the code ? Does a standard console app run as expected on your machine ?

RickZeeland 7-Jul-17 9:10am

I think I see your problem now, as you replied to Arun Vasu you said:
I am making it as a window application from properties=>application
Why didn't you say that in the first place ?
Just retry by creating a normal Windows application and see if that works.

tewary_manish 7-Jul-17 13:16pm

Thanks all for suggestions/help.
I reverted it normal console app and problem remains the same. If this would have been the case, it will not run at the first time also automatically i.e, just after installation.

I think i got the problem, I am using SQL lite DB for this application. I put various log points and observed that connection object is not getting opened up (Issue with "con.open()"). Though it is running find after installation. THE PROBLEM COMES ONLY AFTER REBOOT OR LOGGOFF/LOGIN BACK.

tewary_manish 7-Jul-17 14:28pm

Got the issue, it was because of missing manifest file in the project as the application required administrative privilege.

Thank you all for help and suggestions