Running UI apps from postprocessing.bat

[keith_leitch]

I have emailed sub privately, but hope to find out if anyone else has ideas on this.

Postprocessing.bat is run hidden, for fairly intelligent reasons. One side-effect of this is that this seems to limit utilities that need to interact with the user interface. In my case, I am trying to run POWERCFG to change the standby timeout, but it is having no effect from inside this batch file.

I have implemented a dodgy workaround involving piping the POWERCFG command to a batch file, and having the task scheduler check for it "every minute". I am using a small VBS script to run the batch file hidden, according to:

http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/ru...ommand-prompt/

This keeps the window hidden, but still passes through the UI-related commands. I feel clever, but not elegant.

I am wondering if anyone knows how to enable such utilities called from inside this file, while keeping the batch invisible?

[martint123]

Hmmm. I use powercfg from windows scheduler to turn powersaving on from 2200 hours.
I did try to get it working from gbpvr's MVP/PCH menu as a menu item but they never had any effect. It worked from the pvrx2 interface on the server. This makes me think it is permissions rather than the UI.
I have a feeling it was due to the recording service not running as a system user and/or those sorts of permissions.

I gave in at that point as something else cropped up and I forgot to pursue it.

[HtV]

Just a guess:Maybe switch the setting for the gbpvrrecordingservice to: "allow to interact with desktop"

Hans

[bgowland]

OK - now I'm confused. Powercfg is a command-line tool isn't it? Where does the UI come into it?

[pBS]

i'd agree with HtV about the permissions..

but to run a gui or a batch file and have the window visible, just 'start' another batch file from the first one...works for me for comskip, doing one right now..
[allows me to cancel or pause the comskip during peak hd activity]
but that also may be dependent on the 'allow interaction w/desktop' also...

i believe you can also run the batch file w/ 'runas' the desktop user and achieve same results..

i'm wondering why it's not the default service state from install...or at least save the current setting and reapply upon re-install..

[keith_leitch]

Just a guess:Maybe switch the setting for the gbpvrrecordingservice to: "allow to interact with desktop"

Hans

Sorry: I should have clarified that I had already set this. It cleared up some other problems, but not this one.

[keith_leitch]

but to run a gui or a batch file and have the window visible, just 'start' another batch file from the first one...works for me for comskip, doing one right now..
[allows me to cancel or pause the comskip during peak hd activity]
but that also may be dependent on the 'allow interaction w/desktop' also...

No. I am actually running POWERCFG from another batch file called by PostProcessing.bat. It had no effect until I piped the commands into yet another batch file, and checked for it with an "every minute" scheduled task.

I already have GB-PVR Recording Service set to interact with the desktop.

i believe you can also run the batch file w/ 'runas' the desktop user and achieve same results..

This command, on the other hand, I didn't even know until today. It seems a likely solution. I will try it soon.

[keith_leitch]

OK - now I'm confused. Powercfg is a command-line tool isn't it? Where does the UI come into it?

Good question, and I don't have a clear answer. There are just some programs that don't respond, or respond strangely, unless they are allowed to interact with the "desktop" (the UI). Sub solved another problem for me by suggesting that I set the recording service with this allowance.

I am guessing that, in the case of Powercfg, it is considered to be something that can surprise users; suddenly, your computer is shutting down in one minute, and you didn't tell it to, and you didn't see anything tell it to. You know, that sort of thing.

Nevertheless, I am old enough to remember a time when my computers ALWAYS did as I told them. I want those days back.

[martint123]

Thinking to my powercfg problem where it works from the GUI on teh PC but not from an MVP

The recording service runs as user SYSTEM by default. PVRX2 runs as the current user.

RUNAS is looking favourite.

[keith_leitch]

Thinking to my powercfg problem where it works from the GUI on teh PC but not from an MVP

The recording service runs as user SYSTEM by default. PVRX2 runs as the current user.

RUNAS is looking favourite.

Sadly, I've now had a chance to test this (yes, for hours...the file is invisible, after all), and RUNAS does not seem to solve the problem. When I use it to run the POWERCFG under my own user account name, there is no change in the process; the system ignores the command.