Calling batch commands in C#

Question

Very new to C#, creating a small exe that will launch on startup for users, giving them a few options, connect to a terminal server, administration (will be password protected..somehow :) ) and Exit.

Now administration I want to launch Task Manager as another user, so my idea was to call cmd.exe with runas and launch it. However, I'm not having much luck, my below code just launches cmd.exe but none of the arguments I specified with it.

private void btnAdministration_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    ProcessStartInfo processAdmin;
    processAdmin = new ProcessStartInfo();
    processAdmin.FileName = "C:\\Windows\\system32\\cmd.exe";
    processAdmin.Arguments = "runas /user:admin C:\\Windows\\System32\\taskmgr.exe";
    Process.Start(processAdmin);
}

From what I know, cmd.exe will not run their arguments as commands, you need to take stdin of the process. — Diego C Nascimento
– Diego C Nascimento, Commented Sep 14, 2013 at 17:06

Diego C Nascimento · Accepted Answer · 2013-09-14 17:46:08Z

1

Try that:

private void btnAdministration_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            string password = "userpassword";
            SecureString secureString = new SecureString();

            foreach(char chr in password) secureString.AppendChar(chr);

            ProcessStartInfo processAdmin;
            processAdmin = new ProcessStartInfo();
            processAdmin.UseShellExecute = false;
            processAdmin.Password = secureString;
            processAdmin.UserName = "admin";
            processAdmin.FileName = "taskmgr.exe";
            processAdmin.WorkingDirectory = "C:\\Windows\\System32";
            Process.Start(processAdmin);

        }

^{What MSDN says about that:}

^{Setting the Domain, UserName, and the Password properties in a ProcessStartInfo object is the recommended practice for starting a process with user credentials.}

^Note:

^{Putting the password on a string is not recommended as can be a security concern}

edited Sep 14, 2013 at 17:46

answered Sep 14, 2013 at 17:11

Diego C Nascimento

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8 Comments

Diego C Nascimento Over a year ago

Did you received a InvalidOperationException ? If so, I modified try again

PnP Over a year ago

Well no, but how will it run if I cannot specify a password for that account I want to run it as?

PnP Over a year ago

Is there anyway we can get a prompt to enter the password, I would rather not embed the password in plaintext in my code.

Diego C Nascimento Over a year ago

Of course, you don't know how to ask user input!? Simple change the password variable

PnP Over a year ago

Ofc, I mean, to pass straight through to an encrypted string I can use in the processAdmin.Password call

|

Blau · Accepted Answer · 2013-09-14 17:21:29Z

0

Try to execute runas.exe

        ProcessStartInfo processAdmin;
        processAdmin = new ProcessStartInfo();
        processAdmin.UseShellExecute = false;
        processAdmin.FileName = "runas.exe"
        processAdmin.Arguments = "/user:Administrator \"c:\\Windows\\System32\\taskmgr.exe\""
        Process.Start(processAdmin);

answered Sep 14, 2013 at 17:21

Blau

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