C# – Check if a process is running on a remote system using C#

.netc++system.diagnostics

I am trying to check if a process is running on a remote system. I am using the following code:

string procSearc = "notepad";
string remoteSystem = "remoteSystemName";

Process[] proce = System.Diagnostics.Process.GetProcessesByName(procSearch, remoteSystem);

However, when I try to run the code, I get the following error: "Couldn't connect to remote machine."

I am able to run pslist with the following command:
C:>pslist \remoteSystemName
So I know it is possible to get the information I need, but I need it in the code.

Another possibility would be to integrate pslist into C# and search the list to see if the process is there, but I have not found information on how to do this.

Best Solution

Use the System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController class for a service. You can use Status to check if it's running and the Stop() and Start() to control it.

ServiceController sc = new ServiceController();
sc.MachineName = remoteSystem;
sc.ServiceName = procSearc;

if (sc.Status.Equals(ServiceControllerStatus.Running))
{
   sc.Stop();
}
else
{
   sc.Start();
}

Related Solutions

C# – Should ‘using’ directives be inside or outside the namespace

There is actually a (subtle) difference between the two. Imagine you have the following code in File1.cs:

// File1.cs
using System;
namespace Outer.Inner
{
    class Foo
    {
        static void Bar()
        {
            double d = Math.PI;
        }
    }
}

Now imagine that someone adds another file (File2.cs) to the project that looks like this:

// File2.cs
namespace Outer
{
    class Math
    {
    }
}

The compiler searches Outer before looking at those using directives outside the namespace, so it finds Outer.Math instead of System.Math. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately?), Outer.Math has no PI member, so File1 is now broken.

This changes if you put the using inside your namespace declaration, as follows:

// File1b.cs
namespace Outer.Inner
{
    using System;
    class Foo
    {
        static void Bar()
        {
            double d = Math.PI;
        }
    }
}

Now the compiler searches System before searching Outer, finds System.Math, and all is well.

Some would argue that Math might be a bad name for a user-defined class, since there's already one in System; the point here is just that there is a difference, and it affects the maintainability of your code.

It's also interesting to note what happens if Foo is in namespace Outer, rather than Outer.Inner. In that case, adding Outer.Math in File2 breaks File1 regardless of where the using goes. This implies that the compiler searches the innermost enclosing namespace before it looks at any using directive.

C# – Elevating process privilege programmatically

You can indicate the new process should be started with elevated permissions by setting the Verb property of your startInfo object to 'runas', as follows:

startInfo.Verb = "runas";

This will cause Windows to behave as if the process has been started from Explorer with the "Run as Administrator" menu command.

This does mean the UAC prompt will come up and will need to be acknowledged by the user: if this is undesirable (for example because it would happen in the middle of a lengthy process), you'll need to run your entire host process with elevated permissions by Create and Embed an Application Manifest (UAC) to require the 'highestAvailable' execution level: this will cause the UAC prompt to appear as soon as your app is started, and cause all child processes to run with elevated permissions without additional prompting.

Edit: I see you just edited your question to state that "runas" didn't work for you. That's really strange, as it should (and does for me in several production apps). Requiring the parent process to run with elevated rights by embedding the manifest should definitely work, though.

Best Solution

Related Solutions

C# – Should ‘using’ directives be inside or outside the namespace

C# – Elevating process privilege programmatically

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