Running vshost.exe as a different user

Question

Can I start appname.vshost.exe from debug folder under different username than the one used to start VisualStudio?

There is appname.vshost.exe.config with the following content. Is there a config for username? I have tried searching for it but couldn't find anything.

<configuration>
    <startup> 
        <supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.5.2" />
    </startup>
</configuration>

Its related to [host wcf under impersonated user](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/43942695/…). Somehow I want to start a process under a specific user from my console application and run host wcf in that process so that my service run under that impersonated user. — Alpesh, May 16 '17 at 13:38

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered May 16 '17 at 11:17

1

If you're trying to run your debugg executable You can try shift right click and Run as different user.

Or do you want to run as different user via configuration?

answered May 16 '17 at 11:17

Arukaito

65
1
9

To ask for details, please use comments below the question. Don't post an answer if you're not sure what is the question exactly about. – dymanoid May 16 '17 at 11:52
@Arukaito `appname.vshost.exe` starts with Visual Studio and you can't run it independently. I had tried it and there is always one vshost running for your app under the same user as VS. I just want to see if anyone has got any idea about configuring it to make it run under different user. – Alpesh May 16 '17 at 12:28
I am sure this is a genuine question and still people are down-voting it. I have spent 2 days trying different solutions and then posted this question. – Alpesh May 16 '17 at 12:29

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered May 17 '17 at 10:52

I don't think you can start vshost.exe under different user than the one you have used to start Visual Studio. So now I am starting main console app under different user from another console app and attaching debugger to it and it works.

I have copied my code below if it helps anyone.

using System;
using System.Linq;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Security;
using EnvDTE80;
using Process = System.Diagnostics.Process;

namespace StartService
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            var secure = new SecureString();
            foreach (var c in "password-from-config")
            {
                secure.AppendChar(c);
            }

            Process process = null;

            try
            {
                process = Process.Start(@"C:\Test Projects\WcfServiceTest\WcfServiceTest\bin\Debug\WcfServiceTest.exe",
                    "TestUser", secure, "DomainName");

                Attach(GetCurrent());

                Console.ReadKey();
            }
            finally
            {
                if (process != null && !process.HasExited)
                {
                    process.CloseMainWindow();
                    process.Close();
                }    
            }
        }

        public static void Attach(DTE2 dte)
        {
            var processes = dte.Debugger.LocalProcesses;
            foreach (var proc in processes.Cast<EnvDTE.Process>().Where(proc => proc.Name.IndexOf("WcfServiceTest.exe") != -1))
                proc.Attach();
        }

        internal static DTE2 GetCurrent()
        {
            var dte2 = (DTE2)Marshal.GetActiveObject("VisualStudio.DTE.12.0"); // Specific to VS2013

            return dte2;
        }
    }
}

Running vshost.exe as a different user

2 Answers2