Question

I’m launching the path C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools\IIS Manager.lnk via Process.Start, but it fails with The system cannot find the file specified.

The link shows up on a dir, so it exists.

Can it be permissions?

Notes:

• The path is auto-discovered by iterating over the Start Menu directory.
• I can launch it via explorer and command line.

Clarifications:

• Code is as follows:

  public void Execute() { Process.Start(_shortcut.FullName);}

• _shortcut is of type FileInfo

• _shortcut.Exists is true, so the file can be found
• replacing _shortcut.FullName with the explicit path @”C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools\IIS Manager.lnk” has the same effect.
• This is a WPF app using Caliburn and MEF.
• Running as Administrator has the same effect.

This here on the other hand seems to work:

    [Fact]
    public void TestIisManager()
    {
        var path = new FileInfo(@"C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools\IIS Manager.lnk");
        Process.Start(path.FullName);
    }

It does seem to be a bit “environment” based.

Second clarification:

• It seems to work in a Windows 7 x86 but not in a Windows 7 x64.

Answer 1

Found the issue.

The WPF application was compiled as x86 (all other dlls were compiled as AnyCPU), and when launching some executables or links in a 64 bit machine it failed.

Changing the “Platform Target” to AnyCPU fixes this.