Service & WithEvents SHDocVw automation - "automation error"

Bob · Joined: 04 Oct 2007 Posts: 17

I have a VB app that i run from a service (The app run at winsta0\\default).
The app runs under the localsystem account.

In my app i have:
Private WithEvents winShell As SHDocVw.ShellWindows

and then in one of the functions:
set winShell = new SHDocVw.ShellWindows
When it came to that set line, i get this error in a popup dialog:
"automation error" -2147220990 (80040202)

Some points:
1)When i run the app not from the service, everything is working fine
2)When i remove the WithEvents, i do not get that error (but as you can
understand it worthless without the Events).
3)When the app is not running under localsystem then everything is ok.

The problem is related to the combination of the app that runs under the
system account, automation and the WithEvents keyword.

I tried to make the service interactive by going to the service manager,
right click properties, and checking that box - it did not solve it.

Any suggestions?
(the app must stay running from the systemaccount - i can not change it)
I run it on XP pro.

Thanks

Archived from group: microsoft>public>vb>ole>automation

Tony Proctor · Joined: 04 Oct 2007 Posts: 1051

The LocalSystem account is a special account Bob, and has no corresponding
NT login. That means it doesn't really have a user profile. I suspect
ShellWindows requires a prevailing user profile.

Using ShellWindows also implies your Service is expected to interact with
the desktop. There is a special setting for this but I believe it's not
really a recommended practise

Tony Proctor

"Bob" wrote in message@microsoft.com...
> I have a VB app that i run from a service (The app run at
winsta0\\default).
> The app runs under the localsystem account.
>
> In my app i have:
> Private WithEvents winShell As SHDocVw.ShellWindows
>
> and then in one of the functions:
> set winShell = new SHDocVw.ShellWindows
> When it came to that set line, i get this error in a popup dialog:
> "automation error" -2147220990 (80040202)
>
> Some points:
> 1)When i run the app not from the service, everything is working fine
> 2)When i remove the WithEvents, i do not get that error (but as you can
> understand it worthless without the Events).
> 3)When the app is not running under localsystem then everything is ok.
>
> The problem is related to the combination of the app that runs under the
> system account, automation and the WithEvents keyword.
>
> I tried to make the service interactive by going to the service manager,
> right click properties, and checking that box - it did not solve it.
>
> Any suggestions?
> (the app must stay running from the systemaccount - i can not change it)
> I run it on XP pro.
>
> Thanks

Bob · Joined: 04 Oct 2007 Posts: 17

Thats what keep bother me.
If it does not have access to the shell windows then why when i remove the
withevent, i can get the shellwindows collection and watch them in the
debugger from that system account.

As i see it, it can or can not access the shell windows from the system
account, and as i saw, it can have access to them since these lines without
the withevents give me access to the shellwindows:
Private winShell As SHDocVw.ShellWindows
Private ie As SHDocVw.InternetExplorer

set winShell = new SHDocVw.ShellWindows
set ie=winShell (1)//i can get the iexplorer here - so the system account
does have access.

And my service does interact with desktop.

"Tony Proctor" wrote:

> The LocalSystem account is a special account Bob, and has no corresponding
> NT login. That means it doesn't really have a user profile. I suspect
> ShellWindows requires a prevailing user profile.
>
> Using ShellWindows also implies your Service is expected to interact with
> the desktop. There is a special setting for this but I believe it's not
> really a recommended practise
>
> Tony Proctor
>
> "Bob" wrote in message
> @microsoft.com...
> > I have a VB app that i run from a service (The app run at
> winsta0\\default).
> > The app runs under the localsystem account.
> >
> > In my app i have:
> > Private WithEvents winShell As SHDocVw.ShellWindows
> >
> > and then in one of the functions:
> > set winShell = new SHDocVw.ShellWindows
> > When it came to that set line, i get this error in a popup dialog:
> > "automation error" -2147220990 (80040202)
> >
> > Some points:
> > 1)When i run the app not from the service, everything is working fine
> > 2)When i remove the WithEvents, i do not get that error (but as you can
> > understand it worthless without the Events).
> > 3)When the app is not running under localsystem then everything is ok.
> >
> > The problem is related to the combination of the app that runs under the
> > system account, automation and the WithEvents keyword.
> >
> > I tried to make the service interactive by going to the service manager,
> > right click properties, and checking that box - it did not solve it.
> >
> > Any suggestions?
> > (the app must stay running from the systemaccount - i can not change it)
> > I run it on XP pro.
> >
> > Thanks
>
>
>

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