Replicating Run Box abilities Topic is solved

[BGM]

How can I use autohotkey to run msconfig (for example) without knowing the full path?
Windows RUN box can do this, and so can the cmd box, but authotkey's "run" command just gives an error.

Is there some autohotkey setting, or am I stuck using a hidden comspec to run commands like msconfig?

I've tried this, but it doesn't work either. But I can run msconfig from the Windows run box.

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run, %comspec% /c msconfig,,hide

I want to be able to run anything that I could from the RUN box.

I've tried this, too; the cmd box flashes and disappears

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HiddenConsoleCommand(whatcommand) {
    shell := ComObjCreate("WScript.Shell")
    exec := shell.Exec(ComSpec . " /d c:\windows\system32 /C " . whatcommand)
    return exec.StdOut.ReadAll()
}

I'm using an admin account. I can launch it from the RUN box, and from the CMD window, but not from ahk, even with its full path.
AutoHotkey 1.1.30.01 Unicode on Windows 7 Pro x64

I found this, but is this a good way?

[gregster]

If you can run it via cmd.exe, you can use the built-in ComSpec variable which holds the path to it. This works for me:

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Run %ComSpec% /c "msconfig", , hide

But this works, too, on my system:

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run msconfig.exe

Even run msconfig works here in my Win10, probably because of the setting of the PATH system variable on this computer.

[BGM]

No, on my Windows7, if I do

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run msconfig.exe
;or
run, c:\windows\system32\msconfig.exe   <--this is the full path; ahk cannot run it because it cannot see it

I get ahk's can't find file message.
But, like I said, it works in my RUN box.

[gregster]

Probably because of the setting of the PATH system variable. It specifies a set of directories where executable programs are located.

But then again, the full path should work anyway (it does here).

[BGM]

If c:\windows\system32 was not in my PATH, then I couldn't run it from a cmd box; but I can. I just can't seem to do it from ahk.

[gregster]

Are you running 32 bit AHK on a 64 bit Windows? Then, Lexikos solution explanation is probably what is going on here.

[BGM]

AutoHotkey 1.1.30.01 Unicode on Windows 7 Pro x64
I'm running 32 bit autohotkey. But that shouldn't matter, should it?

[BGM]

okay, if I run it with 64 bit autohotkey, *THEN* it runs msconfig with no problem.
aaaaahhhhhggggghhhhh

[gregster]

I matters. Look at the docs of A_ProgramFiles. There, it matters, too:

The Program Files directory (e.g. C:\Program Files or C:\Program Files (x86)). This is usually the same as the ProgramFiles environment variable.

On 64-bit systems (and not 32-bit systems), the following applies:

If the executable (EXE) that is running the script is 32-bit, A_ProgramFiles returns the path of the "Program Files (x86)" directory.
For 32-bit processes, the ProgramW6432 environment variable contains the path of the 64-bit Program Files directory. On Windows 7 and later, it is also set for 64-bit processes.
The ProgramFiles(x86) environment variable contains the path of the 32-bit Program Files directory.

That's why Lexikos recommends to de-activate the redirection...

[jeeswg]

I tested on Windows 7 64-bit.
This works on AHK 64-bit:

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Run, msconfig

This works on AHK 64-bit and 32-bit:

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DllCall("kernel32\Wow64DisableWow64FsRedirection", PtrP,0)
Run, msconfig

Cheers.

@gregster, by 'Lexikos solution explanation' do you mean that A_ProgramFiles quote?

[BGM]

Thanks, jees and greg
It *does* work with the dllcall in 32bit ahk. and it does work without it in 64bit ahk.
Does that work for the entire script? Or do I need to call it before each run command?
And do I need to re-enable that redirection for the system? Does it affect the entire system or only my script?

Maybe I should start thinking about compiling my scripts in 64bit.
If I want to compile as 64 bit, how do I tell ahk2exe to do that? or can I?

[jeeswg]

I use Wow64DisableWow64FsRedirection once per script, it only affects the script.

[gregster]

Maybe I should start thinking about compiling my scripts in 64bit.
If I want to compile as 64 bit, how do I tell ahk2exe to do that? or can I?

In ahk2exe you can choose a different base file (.bin) for compilation, afaik. It should offer 32 bit ANSI and Unicode, and 64 bit Unicode.

[BGM]

gregster - yes, I saw that in the docs - if I use the 64bit bin file, will the compiler know to create a 64 bit application? That was my hangup, actually.

[gregster]

As I understand it, yes - but I compile only once a year (in a busy year). So, I am no expert...
And 64 bit AHK should compile in 64 bit by default.

[BGM]

The docs say that the ahk2exe doesn't even use autohotkey.exe. I guess that's why you need the 64bit bin file, maybe?

[gregster]

The bin file is already included in the folder... it is (more or less) the same as the exe but ready for compilation/combination with the text-based ahk-file.

I just tried it and compiled a 32-bit Unicode AHK-exe-file by selecting the right bin file, while having installed 64 bit AHK. (By default, it creates a 64 bit exe.)
This line can help determine what version the current script or exe is running on (for testing).

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 Msgbox % "v" A_AhkVersion " " (A_PtrSize = 4 ? 32 : 64) "-bit " (A_IsUnicode ? "Unicode" : "ANSI")