How do I use C# to get the path to chrome.exe on Windows?

Question

I want to launch chrome from my automated test framework so that I can test my server-side ASP.NET code. What's the best way to determine the location of where chrome.exe is located on my computer?

Answer 1

When Chrome is installed on a computer, it installs the ChromeHTML URL protocol. You could use that to get to the path for Chrome.exe.

Some example code may help. The following code returns a string that looks like this:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" -- "%1"

Example code to get that:

var path = Microsoft.Win32.Registry.GetValue(
    @"HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ChromeHTML\shell\open\command", null, null) as string;
if (path != null)
{
    var split = path.Split('\"');
    path = split.Length >= 2 ? split[1] : null;
}

if path is null at the end of the code snippet, then you can assume Chrome isn't installed.

Answer 2

Another approach is use the logic used by the Karma test framework.

const string suffix = @"Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe";
var prefixes = new List<string> {Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.LocalApplicationData)};
var programFiles = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.ProgramFiles);
var programFilesx86 = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.ProgramFilesX86);
if (programFilesx86 != programFiles)
{
    prefixes.Add(programFiles);
}
else
{
    var programFilesDirFromReg = Microsoft.Win32.Registry.GetValue(@"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion", "ProgramW6432Dir", null) as string;
    if (programFilesDirFromReg != null) prefixes.Add(programFilesDirFromReg);
}

prefixes.Add(programFilesx86);
var path = prefixes.Distinct().Select(prefix => Path.Combine(prefix, suffix)).FirstOrDefault(File.Exists);

if path is null at the end of the code snippet, then you can assume Chrome isn't installed.