How to run Exe with parameters?

[ghost1372]

In UWP we can run Exe with the following method

<Extensions>
  <desktop:Extension xmlns:desktop="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/desktop/windows10"
				   Category="windows.fullTrustProcess"
				   Executable="Assets\UnRAR.exe" />
</Extensions>

and
await FullTrustProcessLauncher.LaunchFullTrustProcessForCurrentAppAsync();

But this method does not seem to work, i get this error

System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException: 'Call context cannot be accessed after call completed. (0x80010117)'

[btueffers]

It appears that API is attempting to run it's own process as admin, which is currently only supported on Windows 11 #896

[dhoehna]

@andrewleader unless I can't see it, how is this a windowsAppSDK thing? Isn't FullTrustProcessLauncher already on windows 10? To allow UWP apps to launch full trust processes?

[andrewleader]

@dhoehna ghost1372 has a WinUI 3 app (which uses WinAppSDK), and they're trying to launch their own app as full trust (so trying to launch their WinUI 3 app as full trust).

Running a WinUI 3 app or app that uses WinAppSDK as full trust isn't supported on Windows 10 (only on Windows 11).

[dhoehna]

Yep. Didn't notice that. Thank you for pointing that out.

[riverar]

@andrewleader Wait, what? That should be supported. I think you mean elevated full trust apps are not supported, right?

[andrewleader]

Yes I mean elevated/admin, sorry for the confusion

[andrewleader]

Actually I read this wrong... so the scenario is you want to distribute an EXE alongside your WinUI 3 MSIX desktop app, and you want to launch that EXE dynamically from your code as full trust.

Since a WinUI 3 app is a desktop app, you can use the Process.Start API. Here's a full example of launching the VS installer, distributed within the app itself, requesting it to run elevated. You don't need to specify any <desktop:Extension> in your manifest either. You should be able to pass arguments via Process.Start too. And this works on Windows 10 😊

The thing that doesn't work on Windows 10 (only Windows 11) is running your own WinUI 3 app as elevated/admin. But you can request another process to launch as admin 😊