I am trying to updating a software that is company wide. When the update is applied to the server, the client machines recognize they need an update and ask if you wish to update or not. To update, the user would need to run as admin, which is'nt an option in this case.
We would like to automate this process using powershell, using the Invoke-Command feature. For the most part, the only thing that the update does is copy new files to the programs folder, which we have achieved with robocopy. However, there is one registry key that needs to be added in multiple locations. There is a setup file that does this, but requires a user (with admin privileges) click a couple buttons, and we want this to be completely automated.
So I guess the short version of my question is, what is the best way to handle the registry changes that setup.exe does? It would be nice if there was a way to invoke the script that the executable does.
As for my question, I solved the problem with a slightly diferent approach. (One that should have been tried initially)
When (ProgramName).exe is run, if it sees that it needs updated, it runs a program called (ProgramName).setup.exe with the parameters :
Client="Local folder" server="server location"
These parameters did NOT work from the command line, however, and so I ended up using a powershell script to make a scheduled task that ran (ProgramName).setup.exe with said parameters.
Another huge advantage to this was the fact that I could create an icon that allowed a regular user to run the scheduled task with admin privileges. I couldn't setup a shortcut directly, however, I wrote an AUTO-it Executable that would run the task as admin.
I hope someone can get some level of help out of this post!
Related
I first need to offer the disclaimer that I am barely a novice when it comes to scripting or coding, so I might be doing this all wrong in the first place. I'm running into an issue with a script I had written in powershell a while ago that is used on several hundred computers in my company daily to automate starting a certain app that everyone uses. So far everyone else hasn't had an issue except one machine.
Normally when I run the script, it starts the services and cli for the program which opens in a new window. Then the script, still open behind that, sends all of the key commands to that cli window, pauses for a brief line of user input after which it closes that cli window, does a few other clean up tasks and closes out itself.
The only difference on this one machine that's not working is the script won't pass the keystrokes to the cli window. If I put them in manually including the normal user input, it finishes the rest of the script just fine, but the cli window is just not receiving the keystroke input from the main script.
The only part of the script that send the keystrokes to the cli window is a few lines of this:
[System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys]::SendWait("Text{Enter}")
I have tried using the sleep command before and in between the key commands to make sure it's not going through the keystrokes to early. I've checked and windows had gone through an Update two days ago, but we would've heard about this issue right then if that was it. I'm at a loss for what the issue could be and would apreciate and help, tips, or direction to help figure this one out.
Is the console window the active window when the keys are sent? The documentation for the class you are calling indicates that it sends the keys to the active window. Not only that, but the documentation also seems to indicate that there are some issues that developers have run into when using that class to sends keys. I would try using the autoit powershell module instead. Autoit is its own scripting language which specializes in automating windows processes and being capable of automating interactions with windows forms, but also comes bundled with its own powershell module that I think is exactly what you need, so I would download the portable "zip" package, extract the powershell module from "Autoitx", and that should help you accomplish what you need
PowerShell automation especially when using SendKeys can / is glitchy due to many varying reasons. Can you use SendKeys sure, but you have to know the environment it will be run in and the needed performance details. Hence your futzing/guessing with Sleep.
There are purpose-built tools to help.
Auto HotKey
'PowerShell auto hotkey'
or the UIAutomation tool
'PowerShell automating other applications'
I'd like to create a Powershell script to press the next button in an installation wizard.
I'm troubleshooting a script that a client wrote to help them automate the process of installing software. This script can allegedly fully install any program (with some small amount of customization from program to program).
Now I've gotten it to work to a point where it launches the install wizard, but then nothing happens. Their problem only happens further down the install process, but I can't seem to figure out why the first part of it being able to press next doesn't work.
I can provide code if necessary.
What line of code I should look for in the script that could make the script push the "next" and/or "continue" buttons?
Can you? Probably.
Powershell has access to .Net API and even native Windows API, so you could go low-level enough to enumerate windows in the installer window, find the window labeled 'Next' and send a pair of mouseDown, mouseUp events to the button.
Should you? Probably not.
As mentioned in comments, any good installer system supports some method of installing silently. MSI, if I recall correctly, has a way of recording manual steps performed by a user and store them in a Response File. Then you may pass the .rsp file in later executions of the installer.
See other answers:
How to make better use of msi files
We have a new server running and we got some new programs doing import routines. So far so good... But there is one program that is put into autostart folder. So it doesn't run until admin logs in and it stops if we logout.
I'd like to put this one into a seperate session so it may work without any interaction by simply starting it with the task scheduler at startup. Is this the right way to do this? Is it safe if I log in later and log out?
Many thanks!
Edit: The applications shows as a symbol in the task bar if running, it can be configured by this. Anything I must know about this if I change?
Edit: It is not my application, I cannot rewrite it as a service.
I successfully added the application by using task schelduler on startup. Login and logout will not quit the application but no symbol is shown. Please add details to my side questions and I'll mark your answer as the accepted one.
Edit: Ended up using this one. If I have to configure, I stop the application in task manager and start it again by link. After that I quit the application and restart it by task scheduler manual start.
You need to run your program as a Windows Service. One way of doing it is using the sc.exe program:
> sc create <new_service_name> binPath= "c:\myapp\myapp.exe"
You can read about it here.
You need to separate your application in two.
To allow it to run without a user session, you need a windows service. That should handle all the background stuff. You can then register the service and set it to start when the system starts.
To allow it to have a UI, and show up in the notification area, you need a windows application. This will be in autostart as usual, and will communicate with the service - for example, over named pipes.
While it is still (barely) possible to run an UI application without a user session, it's only maintained for backwards compatibility, and already shows a lot of problems. It will likely be removed altogether in the future, because it breaks quite a few contracts. Do not rely on hacks like this.
I also used the task scheduler to create the application at system startup. It should be noted that if you want to use for mining, you have to disable an option in "settings" where it says that if the application lasts more than three days in a row it will end.
It really works wonderfully!
it is a old question but I recently solved in another way...
(before I was using a scheduled-task for startup but this gave me diverse problems with lots software...)
Some programs also for diverse reasons must be run at a user level... or even inside a specific user session...
So the best way I found was to use a tool like Sysinternal/Autoruns to program the auto-logon to a specific user (it is a registry setting)... and in the startup-folder of that user (or any other "autorun/autolaunch" task)... run a script that first locks the screen... and next runs the other intended programs... that will run under that user profile...
so you can choose a standard user or a administrator... or even launch programs from a standard user in adminsitrator mode...
I hope will help...
This "hack" solved me many problems with startup apps...
I could not get the "sc create" command to work. Instead I manually edited the registry using regedit. I added a new key in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services.
I used the following page to figure out required parameters and their values. Note that the names do not map.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/install/inf-addservice-directive
Old question, but for anyone that stumbles here. Use srvany to set the program as a custom service.
Note that when you do this with for example dropbox, googledrive, etc., you will need stop the service, then open the program normally to make changes like password, updates, etc.
below is a well enough intro.
https://www.iceflatline.com/2015/12/run-a-windows-application-as-a-service-with-srvany/
Download the tool kit here
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=17657
Convert user application to Service and Register it using Regsvr32 or installutil.exe. It will start the service using SYSTEM user account. Which is a high privilege account.
Note : You can`t run any Window based application. Even a Message only window.
I wrote an extremely lengthy script that creates a form. The main purpose of it it to connect to vCenter servers, total up hosts/vms within different datacenters and also identify ESXi host versions. Running the script in ISE the form loads fine and when I click the Button to start the many various functions to update the fields, it runs. I have Foreach() fields throughout and added in a little StatusLabel to the bottom of the form to show me where in the script it is currently scanning.
Once all was done and working, I saved the PS1 file and moved it to a shared server to be run. When I run the Powershell console (as Admin) and point to the file, the Form loads ok. Once I click the button to begin generating the info, It just changes to (Not Responding) and grays out. I know it's working and if left there long enough it will return the info.
Why does the console window not function like the ISE? I want to be able to see the information and Status Label update/change as it goes through the script (just like I do in the ISE).
Appreciate the feedback. The script is several thousand lines long and would need to be scrubbed before I upload. Was hoping to just get some general info before doing that.
I updated to v4 and verified that my command window was running as STA using the command from Jan Chrbolka. Script runs properly now.
I was also facing the same issue.(Btw, I cannot upgrade Powershell to V4 right now since it is my company owned one.)
The Browse button that I incorporated in my form was not working when I am lauching it from Powershell command line. It went to Not Responding state when I click the browse button.
I took the advise from Jan ChrbolkaMay about the STA and MTA.
I checked for the threads related to that and changed the script execution format to the below one which fixed my issue.(adding the word -STA)
powershell -STA -File D:\PS\GUI.ps1
For checking the current state. Use the below query in Commandshell as well as ISE.
I've been searching for this for awhile now, and I am not sure if I am just not using the correct search terms or if the answer is really that hard to find.
What I am trying to do is to create a new Windows service for a game server from a batch file, and then have a task run another batch file every 30 minutes or more that would run two commands on the game server's command line and do some file work.
Specifically, I am running a Minecraft server using Bukkit for a gaming community I help run, and I want to make sure that the thing is always up unless I specifically tell it to stop (like a service). Bukkit is run directly from a batch file and has it's own command line thing running on it.
I am told that you CAN run this type of thing as a service, but the command line will be hidden from view and/or interaction. This is the second part of my query. I have a handy little backup.bat file that copies all the world files and userdata files into a backup directory, 7zips it, and deletes the directory. The only thing is, is that Minecraft likes to always have the worlds' region files open and writing at all times, meaning that it could cause map corruption if I just run it straight off. To compensate, I need to run the command "save-off" on the server to disable the file hooks temporarily, run the backup, and as soon as it finishes, run "save-on" so that the game can continue without lost data.
What I would like to know about this second one is, is it possible to interface with the game service through a batch file, or do I need to create an application to do that? If the latter, how exactly does one go about doing that? I have moderate C++ knowledge (up through my second OO-C++ course in college), and can possibly learn another language if absolutely necessary.
So, in short, two questions:
1. Is it possible to, and how to run a BAT file as a Windows Service?
2. How to interface with said service via BAT files, and if not possible, what kind of application do I need to write (redirection to or writing a tutorial works for me).
Thank you in advance for any and all help!
Old question, user account doesn't seem active on SO anymore, but hey, if you stumble upon this because you have a similar problem:
Since we are speaking about a Bukkit Minecraft server, turn to the "Essentials" plugin for Bukkit.
It now includes a Backup function that does exactly what the OP asks for, namely stop the save so the files can be manipulated without corruption, launch a script, then starts again.
The script can be a backup one (examples provided in the linked page) but can be used to run any operation on the world's files.