Process.Start无法在Windows Server 2008 R2上打开URL

Question

I am using the following code to successfully open the requested URL in the system default browser on Windows 8.1:

public static void OpenUrlInDefaultBrowser(string url)
{
    var httpKey = Registry.ClassesRoot.OpenSubKey(@"http\shell\open\command");

    if (httpKey == null || httpKey.GetValue(string.Empty) == null) 
        return;

    var cmd = httpKey.GetValue(string.Empty) as string;

    if (cmd != null)
    {
        try
        {
            if (cmd.Length > 0)
            {
                string[] splitStr;
                string fileName;
                string args;
                if (cmd.Substring(0, 1) == "\"")
                {
                    splitStr = cmd.Split(new[] { "\" " }, StringSplitOptions.None);
                    fileName = splitStr[0] + "\"";
                    args = cmd.Substring(splitStr[0].Length + 2);
                }
                else
                {
                    splitStr = cmd.Split(new[] { " " }, StringSplitOptions.None);
                    fileName = splitStr[0];
                    args = cmd.Substring(splitStr[0].Length + 1);
                }
                System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(fileName, args.Replace("%1", url));
            }
        }
        catch (Exception)
        {
            // handle exception
        }
    }
    httpKey.Close();
}

However, on my Windows Server 2008 R2 VM, this same code opens Internet Explorer (the default on that machine), but will only load the URL res://iesetup.dll/SoftAdmin.htm . IE is set to Enhanced Security Mode OFF. Chrome works as expected on this machine.

Simply invoking Process.Start(url) also fails to open the requested URL.

When I execute the following from the "Run..." menu, it works as expected: "C:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe" http://example.com . The same goes for start-process http://example.com in PowerShell.

Answer 1

Did you try simply calling Process.Start("http://your_website_here"); ? It's not like you need to specify browser, if you want to run hyperlinks on default one.

@davidsbro - yes, i wouldn't have made it as answer otherwise :) @mark - try http://blog.blksthl.com/2012/11/28/how-to-disable-ie-enhanced-security-in-windows-server-2012/ - that has something to do with server security settings and not application.

Answer 2

I wrote a modified version of your above method to start ie with command line options and is a little more detailed in figuring out which process to start.

Also, try changing the Process.Start calls in the code I'm posting to use a specific user and password.

    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            OpenUrlInBrowser("http://www.stackoverflow.com");
        }

        public static string GetDefaultBrowserCommand()
        {
            string command = null;
            var httpKey = Registry.ClassesRoot.OpenSubKey(@"http\shell\open\command");
            if (httpKey == null)
                throw new Exception("No default browser is configured!");
            else
            {
                command = (string)httpKey.GetValue("", "iexplore.exe");
                int exeIndex = command.ToLower().IndexOf(".exe");
                if (exeIndex > -1)
                {
                    int endOfCommand = command.IndexOf('"', exeIndex);
                    int startOfCommand = command.LastIndexOf('"', exeIndex - 1);
                    if (startOfCommand > -1 && endOfCommand > -1)
                    {
                        command = command.Substring(startOfCommand + 1, endOfCommand - 1);
                        return command;
                    }
                    else
                        throw new Exception("Error: Default browser is not set in the registry correctly!");
                }
                else
                    throw new Exception("The default browser registry setting does not specify an executable!");
            }
        }

        public static void OpenUrlInBrowser(string url)
        {
            string browserCommand = GetDefaultBrowserCommand();
            FileInfo fi = new FileInfo(browserCommand);
            ProcessStartInfo psi = null;
            if (!fi.Exists)            
                Console.WriteLine("The default browser specified in the registry does not physical exist on disk!");
            else
            {
                string commandFileName = Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(fi.FullName).ToLower();
                switch (commandFileName)
                {
                    case "iexplore":
                        psi = new ProcessStartInfo(browserCommand, string.Concat("\"", url, "\"", " ", "-extoff -new"));                            
                        break;
                    default:
                        psi = new ProcessStartInfo(browserCommand, string.Concat("\"", url, "\""));
                        break;
                }
            }
            psi.UseShellExecute = true; //<- have to set this to make runas work
            psi.Verb = "runas"; //<- instructs the process to runas administrator, which will give the user a UAC prompt if UAC is turned on.
            Process.Start(psi);
        }
    }