How to get server-side console app to run on ASP.net website(IIS7)?

Question

I have an ASP.net website that is hosted on IIS7, within the asp.net code I have a C# statement that launches a .exe on my webserver on a button click. For some reason in visual studio it will launch on the local development server but when I move it to the IIS7 server it will not pop up a black console box on button click. This is what I am doing.

generateSpanish = "/n= " + serverName + "GenerateVoice SpanishVoice";

Process serverSideCommandSpanish = new Process();

serverSideCommandSpanish.StartInfo.FileName = Server.MapPath("Config\myexe.exe");
serverSideCommandSpanish.StartInfo.Arguments = generateSpanish;
serverSideCommandSpanish.EnableRaisingEvents = true;
serverSideCommandSpanish.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = true;

serverSideCommandSpanish.Start();

Again it launches in visual studio( a black console app pops up on the "server") but on my IIS server it does not do the console app popup serverside?

Answer 1

You need to enable the handler for exe's under IIS7. Do this by going to the web site under MMC and select Handler Mappings.

Answer 2

You may be able to get this to work using telling your Process to run PsExec with the -i argument and having PsExec run the .exe you're actually trying to start. The -i argument tells PsExec to execute the target in interactive mode on the desktop of a specified user session.