Opening files from a flash drive using combobox and button

[pbcompgeek]

I've been trying to open some applications (.exe) that are on my flash drive using multiple ComboBox's to select the different types of programs and a button to lauch the selected program. My issue is the flash drive wont always be e:\. I need my program to open the files from the flash drives current directory. I've done it in batch real easy...Visual Basic I'm having trouble. In batch or cmd its as easy as this

start "" "theprogramfold er\theprogram.e xe"

I've tried to use

shell "theprogramfold er\theprogram.e xe"

but obviously just end up with an error
plus I need it to be used with the combobox so ive done

ComboBox1.Items.Add(ProgramName1)
ComboBox1.Items.Add(ProgramName2)
ComboBox2.Items.Add(ProgramName3)
ComboBox2.Items.Add(ProgramName4)

under the main form load
and under my button1_click i have

Select Case ComboBox1.SelectedIndex
    Case 0
         Shell("Program1folder\program1.exe")
    Case 1
         Shell("Program2folder\program2.exe")
End Select
Select Case ComboxBox2.SelectedIndex
    Case 0
         Shell("Program3folder\program3.exe")
'... and so on

Thanks for any help

[jforbes]

I think you are looking for something like:

Dim procID As Integer
Dim sDirectory as String = My.Application.Info.DirectoryPath

procID = Shell(sDirectory  & "\program1.exe", AppWinStyle.NormalFocus)

I don't have Visual Studio in front of me right now, so I haven't verified the code.

[pbcompgeek]

I've tried that and it doesn't seem to work

[IronRazer]

Hi,
If your worried about finding the usb drive that the exe is on then you can loop through all the Removable drives on the system and check if your file exists on the drive. If it exists then use the Process class to run your exe file.

If your exe file is located in a subfolder on the usb drive then you will need to supply the full path without the drive letter like this

Dim MyComboBoxText As String = "SomeFolder\Another Folder\My App.exe"

Public Class Form1

    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        Dim MyComboBoxText As String = "My App.exe"
        FindAndRun(MyComboBoxText)
    End Sub

    Private Sub FindAndRun(ByVal filename As String)
        For Each drv As IO.DriveInfo In IO.DriveInfo.GetDrives 'iterate through all the drives on the system

            If drv.IsReady AndAlso drv.DriveType = IO.DriveType.Removable Then 'check if the drive is ready and it is a removable drive

                Dim testpath As String = IO.Path.Combine(drv.Name, filename) 'adds the drive name to the filename

                If IO.File.Exists(testpath) Then 'check if the file exists in this removable drive

                    Process.Start(testpath) 'use the Process class to start the exe

                End If
            End If
        Next
    End Sub
End Class

[IronRazer]

After seeing your other thread i think jforbes has given the correct answer. Use the Application.Sta rtupPath to get the path to the directory your app is running from. Add your filename to it and run it.

I would use IO.Path.Combine to add your filename to your path. I would also recommend using the Process class instead of the Shell command. 8)

[pbcompgeek]

Thank you for replying IronRazer. I've tried what jforbes said and that didnt work. I would like to try what you sent. Do you think it will work or what do you think I should try exactly. Sorry little confused. Also I'm trying to launch multiple different app.exe's from different ComboBox's and just so you know I'm working with Microsoft Visual Express 2013.

[pbcompgeek]

So far I have this now just for testing and it obviously doesn't work....

Public Class Form1

    Private Sub Form1_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        ComboBox1.Items.Add("Internet")
    End Sub

    Private Sub Button1_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        Select Case ComboBox1.SelectedIndex
            Case 0
                Dim MyComboBoxText As String = "FirefoxPortable\FirefoxPortable.exe"
                FindAndRun(MyComboBoxText)
        End Select
    End Sub
    Private Sub FindAndRun(ByVal filename As String)
        For Each drv As IO.DriveInfo In IO.DriveInfo.GetDrives
            If drv.IsReady AndAlso drv.DriveType = IO.DriveType.Removable Then
                Dim testpath As String = IO.Path.Combine
                If IO.File.Exists(testpath) Then
                    Process.Start(testpath)
                End If
            End If
        Next
    End Sub
End Class

[IronRazer]

Is your Main application`s exe file that has the Comboboxes on it located on the same flash drive? Is the exe files that your trying to execute in the same directory as the main applications exe?

[pbcompgeek]

It's not yet I've just been debugging and testing that way. Should I be publishing it and be putting on the flash drive? And to your second question ill be putting the exe for the program on the main part of the flash drive and programs in subfolders on the flash drive. Thank you so much for helping btw.

[IronRazer]

Your going to want to make a folder in your projects Debug folder that contains the exe files you want to have listed in your combobox to run for now if your projects exe is not on the thumb drive where the subfolder with exe files are located. Then later you can copy your projects exe file and the folder containing the exe`s to the thumb drive.

You need to have some sort of a fixed way to find the exe files from your app.

For example my test project is called "Run Exe from subfolder on thumb drive.exe" and is located directly on my thumb drive. I also made a folder on the thumb drive called "Apps" that i put a few exe files in that i want to run from my app. So the paths look like this.

My test project:
E:\Run Exe from subfolder on thumb drive.exe

The exe paths for the programs i want to run:
E:\Apps\Color Picker.exe
E:\Apps\QuickVa l.exe

My test project is a simple form with 1 ComboBox and 1 Button on it and uses the code below. When it is run it will list all the exe files in the Apps folder. Then when i select a program in the combobox and press the button it will run that program from the Apps folder.

Public Class Form1
    'Adds "Apps" to the directory that this apps exe file was started from
    Private AppsPath As String = IO.Path.Combine(Application.StartupPath, "Apps")

    Private ExeFullPaths As New List(Of String) 'This will hold all the full pathnames to the exe files

    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        ComboBox1.DropDownStyle = ComboBoxStyle.DropDownList 'make it so user cant type in the combobox

        For Each fn As String In IO.Directory.GetFiles(AppsPath, "*.exe") 'iterate through all the exe files in the AppsPath directory
            ExeFullPaths.Add(fn) 'add the full path to a list so you can start the exe file depending on the selected index of the combobox
            ComboBox1.Items.Add(IO.Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(fn)) 'add just the filename to the combobox
        Next

        If ComboBox1.Items.Count > 0 Then ComboBox1.SelectedIndex = 0 'selects the first file if there was any files found and added to combobox
    End Sub

    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        If ComboBox1.SelectedIndex > -1 Then 'makes sure there is an item selected before trying to start one
            Process.Start(ExeFullPaths(ComboBox1.SelectedIndex)) 'start the selected exe file
        End If
    End Sub
End Class

[pbcompgeek]

See the end of this message for details on invoking
just-in-time (JIT) debugging instead of this dialog box.

************** Exception Text **************
System.IO.Direc toryNotFoundExc eption: Could not find a part of the path 'C:\Users\UserG uy\AppData\Loca l\Apps\2.0\5Y70 9M5T.CKQ\QV43ND T4.2QV\test..ti on_5e6ec928ad27 44d3_0001.0000_ 7a4b9744597780e 5\Apps'.
at System.IO.__Err or.WinIOError(I nt32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath)
at System.IO.FileS ystemEnumerable Iterator`1.Comm onInit()
at System.IO.FileS ystemEnumerable Iterator`1..cto r(String path, String originalUserPat h, String searchPattern, SearchOption searchOption, SearchResultHan dler`1 resultHandler, Boolean checkHost)
at System.IO.Direc tory.GetFiles(S tring path, String searchPattern)
at Tester_BS_3.For m1.Form1_Load(O bject sender, EventArgs e)
at System.EventHan dler.Invoke(Obj ect sender, EventArgs e)
at System.Windows. Forms.Form.OnLo ad(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows. Forms.Form.OnCr eateControl()
at System.Windows. Forms.Control.C reateControl(Bo olean fIgnoreVisible)
at System.Windows. Forms.Control.C reateControl()
at System.Windows. Forms.Control.W mShowWindow(Mes sage& m)
at System.Windows. Forms.Control.W ndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows. Forms.Scrollabl eControl.WndPro c(Message& m)
at System.Windows. Forms.Container Control.WndProc (Message& m)
at System.Windows. Forms.Form.WmSh owWindow(Messag e& m)
at System.Windows. Forms.Form.WndP roc(Message& m)
at System.Windows. Forms.Control.C ontrolNativeWin dow.OnMessage(M essage& m)
at System.Windows. Forms.Control.C ontrolNativeWin dow.WndProc(Mes sage& m)
at System.Windows. Forms.NativeWin dow.Callback(In tPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)


************** Loaded Assemblies **************
mscorlib
Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.34014 built by: FX45W81RTMGDR
CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v4.0.30319/mscorlib.dll
----------------------------------------
Tester BS 3
Assembly Version: 1.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 1.0.0.0
CodeBase: file:///C:/Users/UserGuy/AppData/Local/Apps/2.0/5Y709M5T.CKQ/QV43NDT4.2QV/test..tion_5e6e c928ad2744d3_00 01.0000_7a4b974 4597780e5/Tester%20BS%203 .exe
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.Visua lBasic
Assembly Version: 10.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 12.0.20806.3344 0 built by: FX45W81RTMREL
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Microsoft.Visua lBasic/v4.0_10.0.0.0__ b03f5f7f11d50a3 a/Microsoft.Visua lBasic.dll
----------------------------------------
System
Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.34003 built by: FX45W81RTMGDR
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b 77a5c561934e089/System.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Core
Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.33440 built by: FX45W81RTMREL
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Core/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b 77a5c561934e089/System.Core.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Windows. Forms
Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.33440 built by: FX45W81RTMREL
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows. Forms/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b 77a5c561934e089/System.Windows. Forms.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Drawing
Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.33440 built by: FX45W81RTMREL
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Drawing/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b 03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Drawing. dll
----------------------------------------
System.Runtime. Remoting
Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.34107 built by: FX45W81RTMGDR
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Runtime. Remoting/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b 77a5c561934e089/System.Runtime. Remoting.dll
----------------------------------------

************** JIT Debugging **************
To enable just-in-time (JIT) debugging, the .config file for this
application or computer (machine.config ) must have the
jitDebugging value set in the system.windows. forms section.
The application must also be compiled with debugging
enabled.

For example:

<configuratio n>
<system.windows .forms jitDebugging="t rue" />
</configuration>

When JIT debugging is enabled, any unhandled exception
will be sent to the JIT debugger registered on the computer
rather than be handled by this dialog box.

I did all that and this is what is happening now.

[IronRazer]

If you look at the very first part of your error message it says that it can`t find the the "Apps" directory.

System.IO.Direc toryNotFoundExc eption: Could not find a part of the path 'C:\Users\UserG uy\AppData\Loca l\Apps\2.0\5Y70 9M5T. CKQ\QV43NDT4.2Q V\test..tion_5e 6ec928ad2744d3_ 0001. 0000_7a4b974459 7780e5\Apps'.

The path looks kind of strange to me. I am not sure why it is showing the AppData\Local\A pps..... and so on for the path.

Are you sure you made a folder called "Apps" in the same directory that your projects exe file is located in? If your still running your project from the VB editor then your "Apps" folder needs to be in the Debug folder of your projects folder.

If you have copied your projects exe file to the root of your thumb drive then you need the "Apps" folder on the root of the thumb drive also.

[pbcompgeek]

"The path looks kind of strange to me. I am not sure why it is showing the AppData\Local\A pps..... and so on for the path. "

I don't know why it was either. I have a folder on my flash drive called Apps and in the debug folder on my computer so when I run debugging it works. I've just wrote what you've wrote above just as a test program one combobox and button. When I publish to the flash drive and try to install from flash drive the install fails. I'm also creating the windows form app on the flash drive when i first create the program.
Thanks for the help.

[pbcompgeek]

What is the fn in the For Each fn As String?
Never mind. Found out. Function.