Service Does Not Launch Console Application - vb.net

Question

TLDR: My console application runs if I click on it manually however it does not run when called by service while using StartProcess or Shell.
Could this be a permission issue?
Details:
I've written a small windows service application that checks a remote location folder for a product key and updates the local machine if the product key is different than what is entered. I thought this would be a simple project for my first foray into windows services.
The service runs using a timer every hour (for testing the interval is every 30 seconds). Originally the service would perform the updating but I ran into a more complicated issue accessing the UNC path (I would have to use Impersonation Classes).
So while testing the code in a console version of the application, I noticed it was able to access the network location without supplying credentials. So I rewrote the service so it calls the console application instead. But no matter how I write it I can't get the console application to launch from the service.
If anymore information is needed please feel free to ask!
Thank you for your time.

Answer 1

Damien hit the nail on the head, the issue is that when you run the console app, you are running it as you, which has access to the UNC. When the service runs your console app, it is running it as the user you tied to the service. You have a couple options:
1: Setup the service to run as a user with access to the UNC
2: Use Impersonation to connect as the user you want to.
Either way, running it from a console application instead of your service is useless.
I have included a class I created that makes impersonation easy:
Imports System.Security.Principal
Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices
''' <summary>
''' Used to temporarily impersonate another user
''' Must use a USING block or dispose of instance to undo impersonation
''' </summary>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Class ImpersonateFNS
Implements IDisposable
Declare Function LogonUserA Lib "advapi32.dll" (ByVal lpszUsername As String, ByVal lpszDomain As String, ByVal lpszPassword As String, _
ByVal dwLogonType As Integer, ByVal dwLogonProvider As Integer, ByRef phToken As IntPtr) As Integer
Private _impersonatedUser As WindowsImpersonationContext = Nothing
Private _loggedOn As Boolean = False
''' <summary>
''' Should call this in a USING block OR, make sure you dispose this object when done impersonating
''' </summary>
Public Sub New(ByVal Domain As String, ByVal UserName As String, ByVal Password As String)
Dim token As IntPtr = IntPtr.Zero
'If (LogonUserA(UserName, Domain, Password, 2, 0, token) <> 0) Then
If (LogonUserA(UserName, Domain, Password, 9, 0, token) <> 0) Then
_loggedOn = True
Dim newIdentity As WindowsIdentity = New WindowsIdentity(token)
_impersonatedUser = newIdentity.Impersonate()
Else
Dim ret As Integer = Marshal.GetLastWin32Error()
'Console.WriteLine("LogonUser failed with error code : {0}", ret)
'Throw New System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception(String.Format("LogonUser failed with error code : {0}", ret))
Throw New Security.SecurityException(String.Format("LogonUser failed with error code : {0}", ret))
End If
End Sub
Private ReadOnly Property LoggedOn As Boolean
Get
Return _loggedOn
End Get
End Property
#Region "IDisposable Support"
Private disposedValue As Boolean ' To detect redundant calls
' IDisposable
Protected Overridable Sub Dispose(disposing As Boolean)
If Not Me.disposedValue Then
If disposing Then
' TODO: dispose managed state (managed objects).
End If
If _impersonatedUser IsNot Nothing Then
_impersonatedUser.Undo()
End If
' TODO: free unmanaged resources (unmanaged objects) and override Finalize() below.
' TODO: set large fields to null.
End If
Me.disposedValue = True
End Sub
' TODO: override Finalize() only if Dispose(ByVal disposing As Boolean) above has code to free unmanaged resources.
'Protected Overrides Sub Finalize()
' ' Do not change this code. Put cleanup code in Dispose(ByVal disposing As Boolean) above.
' Dispose(False)
' MyBase.Finalize()
'End Sub
' This code added by Visual Basic to correctly implement the disposable pattern.
Public Sub Dispose() Implements IDisposable.Dispose
' Do not change this code. Put cleanup code in Dispose(disposing As Boolean) above.
Dispose(True)
GC.SuppressFinalize(Me)
End Sub
#End Region
End Class
Create the class as shown above and then call is in a USING block so it will undo the impersonation when you are done doing your business. like so:
Using x as New ImpersonationFNF("MyDomain", "User","Password")
'Copy, read, whatever the stuff you need to do here
End Using