CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#.netuser-interface
ThinkCentre
ThinkCentre

Reputation: 51

How to make my program a background process

I wrote a program in C# .NET, that needs to be run in the background. I mean it should have any user interface. Neither a GUI nor a CLI. It is not also a windows service(because it must run only after user has logged in).

It should just run in background. example of such programs are AdobeUpdater.exe , GoogleUpdater.exe etc.

Upvotes: 5

Views: 11580

Answers (5)

mickeymicks
mickeymicks

Reputation: 669

I often use the following solution for this case: create an application context and use that in the WinForm's project instead of a form.

  1. Create an applicationcontext class 

    public class MyApplicationContext : ApplicationContext
{
        public MyApplicationContext()
        {
        }

        void Exit(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
                Application.Exit();
        }
}

  2. In Program.cs -> replace original Application.Run() call 

    static void Main()
{
    Application.EnableVisualStyles();
    Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);

    Form1 frm = new Form1(); //remove if not needed 
    Application.Run(new MyApplicationContext());
}

  3. Because you don't show the form anymore, you need to provide other ways to close the application. I.e. use system tray and then call: 

    Application.Exit();

Note: Using the above (without ever showing the form), you will never get the usual form events like load, closing, closed.

Upvotes: 2

Ed Power
Ed Power

Reputation: 8531

You might reconsider using a Windows service and having it monitor for logon/logoff events using the System.Management.ManagementEventWatcher class. This gives an example of a logoff event watcher: http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/netfxbcl/thread/0c1bded8-0cce-4260-bd28-4b4ffce0d27d.

Upvotes: 0

Erik Funkenbusch
Erik Funkenbusch

Reputation: 93424

You can create a Console application, and then change it's properties in the project settings to a Windows application (rather than console). Or you can create a Windows Forms application that ddoesn't actually create any forms.

Upvotes: 5

BFree
BFree

Reputation: 103742

Another option would be to create a Windows Application and set these two properties:

        this.WindowState = FormWindowState.Minimized;
        this.ShowInTaskbar = false;

Upvotes: 8

Samuel Neff
Samuel Neff

Reputation: 74899

Use Task Scheduler to run it on a schedule (which can be based on when user logs in). Or add it to the registry to run on startup.

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Upvotes: 0

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