VB.NET Resource exe in memory with argument - vb.net

Question

Alright so i am pretty new to really anything in memory execution. I usually just write the bytes from the embedded resource into the file on the hard drive but for the program i am making for a work project it cannot write the exe to the disk.
So i took the code from Load a .NET assembly from the application's resources and run It from memory, but without terminating the main/host application
I modified the code a little bit in what i would think would work for running it with an argument and it does nothing but crash, not really listing any crash details though besides the windows error reporting.
here is the code:
Dim ass As Assembly = Assembly.Load(My.Resources.bbinst)
Dim method As MethodInfo = ass.EntryPoint
Dim parametersArray As Object() = New Object() {"/q /SERIAL=xxx-xxx"}
If (method IsNot Nothing) Then
Dim instance As Object = ass.CreateInstance(method.Name)
method.Invoke(instance, parametersArray)
If (instance IsNot Nothing) AndAlso (instance.GetType().GetInterfaces.Contains(GetType(IDisposable))) Then
DirectCast(instance, IDisposable).Dispose()
End If
instance = Nothing
method = Nothing
ass = Nothing
Else
Throw New EntryPointNotFoundException("Entrypoint not found in the specified resource. Are you sure it is a .NET assembly?")
End If
bbinst is the exe name that is embedded as bbinst.exe
The parametersArray is the argument i want to run which i converted from a C# sample i found else where.
Can someone help me as to why the program just crashes and error reporting pops up second after, i'm not to good as debugging. I also tried to run it without the arguments and it as well crashed the same way.
Any help is awesome, sometimes i have these random projects at work i don't know why they give me lol

Answer 1

A BadImageFormatException is thrown either when you attempt to load an assembly of the wrong bitness, or when you try to load an assembly that cannot be read, run or compiled by the current runtime.
Regarding bitness: 32-bit (x86) applications cannot load 64-bit code, and 64-bit (x64) applications cannot load 32-bit code. It's that simple.
As for not being able to read, run or compile the assembly: If the assembly that you're trying to load was programmed in a completely different language (more precisely: a language without .NET support) then it would also cause the above exception to be thrown.
Your method of executing an embedded application will only work with assemblies that were coded in a .NET language (C#, VB.NET, F#, C++/CLR, etc.). This is because that doesn't only run the application, it tries to load it like a .NET app linked to an Assembly, and/or AppDomain, class so that you can have some control over it and invoke methods inside it.
Your issue: My bet that your problem is caused by your embedded application not being of the same bitness as the host. Make sure both applications are compiled either as x86, x64 or AnyCPU.
However if it turns out that your embedded program isn't even written in a .NET language then that is the cause of your problem. That code of yours can only run .NET programs/DLLs.

Answer 2

You can invoke the EntryPoint by loading it in the assembly :
Public Shared Sub RunSearch(ByVal pPath As String, ByVal pText As String)
'Get assembly
Dim assembly As Reflection.Assembly = Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly()
'Get the resource stream
Dim resourceStream As Stream = assembly.GetManifestResourceStream("path.executable name")
If resourceStream Is Nothing Then
MsgBox("Unexisting Path","Error")
End If
'Read the raw bytes of the resource
Dim resourcesBuffer(CInt(resourceStream.Length) - 1) As Byte
resourceStream.Read(resourcesBuffer, 0, resourcesBuffer.Length)
resourceStream.Close()
'Load the assembly
Dim exeAssembly As Reflection.Assembly = Reflection.Assembly.Load(resourcesBuffer)
Dim args() As String = {pPath, pText}
Dim parameters = New Object() {args}
Try
exeAssembly.EntryPoint.Invoke(Nothing, parameters)
Catch
MsgBox("Error during assembly executing","Error")
End Try
End Sub