PHP: How to check if a .exe is already running?

Question

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Scenario:

A webpage posts a method "Initiate" to server.php file. The server.php file will launch the application "TestDlg.exe".

Code:

PHP

if (isset($_POST['Initiate']))
{
      $shell = new COM("WScript.Shell") or die("Requires Windows Scripting Host");
      $exePath = "TestDlg.exe";
      $shell->exec($exePath); //this is launching the application successfully
}

What i need:

Multiple instances of TestDlg.exe are launched each time i post "Initiate". Instead of launching "TestDlg.exe" always, is there any way to check if "TestDlg.exe" is already launched and then launch if it is not launched?

**** I cannot edit the application "TestDlg.exe", i do not have the rights. So please don't tell me to kill any new instances of the TestDlg.exe in the application itself. I want to handle this in php.

Posted 24-Sep-13 7:36am

amarasat

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Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov · Answer 1 · 2013-09-24T08:55:00

It's not that easy, but if "TestDlg.exe" is your code, you should embed the recognition in this code instead of relying on some external process, develop in PHP or not. I'll explain why. You don't have enough information. You can request all processes being executed by the OS at some moment, but essentially, all you get is the set of some IDs (process and threads) and strings (names). This would not be 100% reliable, because you always have a chance that some unrelated processes have, say, identical names, just by accident.

In contrast, if you embed the recognition on your application, you can develop a very robust technique. The approach is not to detect anything, but to exist the second instance immediately and pass data (if any) to the first instance. I have a very robust solution and explain all the ideas in my past answers:
Custom Windows right-click command launching multiple instances[^],
Enter multiple commands to only one process instance[^].

Unfortunately, I have no idea what is your platform and language, so my information may be not 100% relevant, but you could use some ideas. Next time, please share such important detail.

(I mean, "PHP" and "Windows" is not enough. You need to provide information on "TestDlg.exe".)

—SA

amarasat · Answer 2 · 2013-10-31T04:57:00

Solution 2

The easy solution i found for this one is trying to delete the TestDlg.exe file before launching it. If i was able to delete it, then copy it back from the backup file and launch it.

If i cannot delete it, that means its already running. Its working fine; just let me know if u see any issue with it.

Posted 31-Oct-13 4:57am

amarasat

Comments

Seboka Matsoso 16-Apr-14 15:37pm

Huh!! Funny but correct solution...