c# how to detect that the windows form application runs for the first time(on startup) after computer starts?

Question

I have a windows form application which i added in windows startup program using installer package (inno setup) which is working fine and my application launches on the start up too. Now i want to trigger a function which execute another application on the startup of main/base application. I mean not every time when a form loads but only the first time when the application launch(on start up) is it possible to do so?

Answer 1

EDIT: based on the OP comments and understanding, here's a simple example of how to get the last system boot up time and then storing it in a text file at the root of the app executable, next time the app is launched the DateTime value stored in the file will be used to verify if there's a need to run the method:

private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    var lastAppStartup = GetLastAppStartup();
    var lastBootUpTime = GetLastBootUpTime();

    // If last computer boot up time is greater than last app start up time
    // Store last boot up time for next launch as app startup time
    if (lastBootUpTime.CompareTo(lastAppStartup) > 0)
    {
        AppMethodRunOnceOnStartup();
        File.WriteAllText("lastbootuptime.txt", lastBootUpTime.ToString("yyyy-MM-dd hh:mm:ss"));
    }
}

private DateTime GetLastBootUpTime()
{
    var query = new SelectQuery(@"SELECT LastBootUpTime FROM Win32_OperatingSystem");
    var searcher = new ManagementObjectSearcher(query);
    var result = DateTime.Now;

    foreach (ManagementObject mo in searcher.Get())
    {
        result = ManagementDateTimeConverter
                    .ToDateTime(mo.Properties["LastBootUpTime"].Value.ToString());
    }

    return result;
}

private DateTime GetLastAppStartup()
{
    var lastAppStartup = File.ReadAllText("lastbootuptime.txt");
    return DateTime
            .ParseExact(lastAppStartup, "yyyy-MM-dd hh:mm:ss", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);
}

// Run this method only once when computer boot up
private void AppMethodRunOnceOnStartup()
{
    // This method runs only once based on the last system boot up time
}

Either use the [Form.Load][1] event, or from Program Main before Application.Run to launch a process (probably Program Main is what you're looking for):

 static class Program { /// <summary> /// The main entry point for the application. /// </summary> [STAThread] static void Main() { var process = Process.Start("notepad"); Application.EnableVisualStyles(); Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false); Application.Run(new Form1()); } }

[1]: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/do.net/api/system.windows.forms.form.load?view.netcore-3.1