How to set a custom PS profile for VS Start Without Debugging action?

Igor Pavlov 0

When console app is launched with the Start Without Debugging action, the Visual Studio (VS) 2022 opens a default PowerShell (PS) console for it. I would like to use a custom PS profile for that. How it can be done?

The issue that I would like to solve is to prevent the console window from closing after a launched process termination. The feature was working in the previous VS versions but stopped working at some moment. It seems the VS doesn't control the console window closing anymore. PS has a setting to control behavior on profile termination, by default it closes the console windows. I would like to keep all of the console windows that were launched from the VS, but I don't want to change the default PS behavior.

David Lowndes 2,555 Reputation points MVP

2023-12-27T15:31:55.4866667+00:00

Oddly, the behaviour you describe is the opposite I normally have.
For me, with a console project, using Ctrl+F5 (Start without Debugging) always results in the console remaining visible with the text "Press any key to close this window . . ." showing.
For your project, what do you have for the Linker, System, SubSystem setting?
For me, a console project has Console (/SUBSYSTEM:CONSOLE), however, if I change it to be "Not Set", then the console closes.

3 answers

Tianyu Sun-MSFT 31,416 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2023-12-28T03:40:15.9566667+00:00

Hello @Igor Pavlov,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.

If you mean previously in VS, VS can keep several Console windows open without closing any one of them, but now, in VS 2022, VS only keeps one Console window open, then you may need to refer to this thread: Visual Studio 2022 on Windows 11 reuses the same console window on successive runs, overwriting the previous output.

Currently no options can be selected to change to the situation like previous in VS 2019.

One workaround => creating and using shortcut keys to run the project by executing external tools.

If you mean for only one console window, it opens and automatically closes after clicking Start Without Debugging, then like what David mentioned above, by default, in VS 2022, the Console window should not be closed automatically. For different type of projects, the settings are different. You can reset VS General settings by following steps here: Reset all settings.

Besides, as VS 2022 uses Microsoft Visual Studio Debug Console, you can try to generate a profile(refer to this thread: Microsoft Visual Studio 2022 Debug Console instead of cmd.exe), but probably it doesn’t work.

Sincerely,

Tianyu

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Igor Pavlov 0 Reputation points

2023-12-28T11:48:33.8433333+00:00

VS only keeps one Console window open

I don't see that.

by default, in VS 2022, the Console window should not be closed automatically

The console window is closed automatically. I think this behavior is because it's actually a PowerShell's console window that has its own windows closing logic. If I change the Profile Termination Behavior from "Automatic" to "Never close automatically" in the Default profile settings, then the windows are not closed anymore, but I don't want to change the default settings. That's why I'm asking how to set a custom profile for VS.

One workaround => creating and using shortcut keys to run the project by executing external tools.

That will break a workflow. Running an external tool will not force the code rebuild if it's needed, and I haven't found a way to pass "Command Arguments" from the project settings to the external tool.

Tianyu Sun-MSFT 31,416 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2023-12-29T09:04:13.54+00:00

Hi @Igor Pavlov,

However its behavior is similar to the native project.

Sounds it’s c++/win32 related project. Have you checked the settings that David mentioned(project property page > Configuration Properties > Linker > System > SubSystem)?

Igor Pavlov 0 Reputation points

2023-12-29T14:43:44.88+00:00

@Tianyu Sun-MSFT

As I've noticed in the following comment, it's not a VS-native console app project, it's a stub project that is created for an external build system. The project Configuration type is Makefile. So, there is no such an option as Configuration Properties > Linker > System > SubSystem in the project properties. But I've checked the output exe file and it has the IMAGE_SUBSYSTEM_WINDOWS_CUI (3) value in the Subsystem filed of the IMAGE_OPTIONAL_HEADER32 structure. If that's not enough, what other side-effects the Linker > System > SubSystem option has?

David Lowndes 2,555 Reputation points MVP

2023-12-29T14:46:54.39+00:00

That setting is the linker /SUBSYSTEM option, so what (if anything) are you using for that in your makefile?

Igor Pavlov 0 Reputation points

2023-12-29T15:30:21.6933333+00:00

The final exe file has the IMAGE_SUBSYSTEM_WINDOWS_CUI (3) value in the Subsystem field in its header, it launches as console app and successfully writes its output to console, so I think the /SUBSYSTEM:CONSOLE option is there. The documentation says that /SUBSYSTEM:CONSOLE is the default value if the other value isn't specified.
I've tried to set /SUBSYSTEM:CONSOLE explicitly in the build script, it doesn't change anything.

Tianyu Sun-MSFT 31,416 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2024-01-02T07:53:21.8933333+00:00

Hi @Igor Pavlov,

It should be a Makefile project. When setting for /SUBSYSTEM:CONSOLE, project file(for example, the .vcxproj file) usually adds following

<Link> <SubSystem>Console</SubSystem> ... </Link>

Was the same or similar code added on your side?

Besides, how did you set /SUBSYSTEM:CONSOLE explicitly in the build script? Is it possible for you to share us some steps to reproduce this issue?

Igor Pavlov 0 Reputation points

2024-01-09T12:39:05.2333333+00:00

@Tianyu Sun-MSFT

Hi,

Was the same or similar code added on your side?

No, there are no such lines. There are settings for the the external build system, e.g.:

<PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|Win32'"> <PlatformToolset>v142</PlatformToolset> <WindowsTargetPlatformVersion>10.0.22621.0</WindowsTargetPlatformVersion> <BazelBuildCommand>C:\tool\python\windows_x64\python.exe ...</BazelBuildCommand> <BazelCompileCommand>C:\tool\python\windows_x64\python.exe ...</BazelCompileCommand> <BazelBuildInputs> a list of the source files </BazelBuildInputs> <BazelIncludeDirs> a list of the include dirs </BazelIncludeDirs> <BazelExternalDirs> a list of the external include dirs </BazelExternalDirs> <BazelExecutableRunfilesDir> ... </BazelExecutableRunfilesDir> <BazelExecutablePath> an output exe full filepath </BazelExecutablePath> <BazelBuildMark> ... </BazelBuildMark> <NMakeOutput>C:\__build\b\execroot\k\bazel-out\x64_windows-dbg\bin\test.exe</NMakeOutput> <NMakePreprocessorDefinitions> a lot of definitions </NMakePreprocessorDefinitions> <OutDir>C:\__build\b\execroot\k\bazel-out\x64_windows-dbg\bin\</OutDir> <TargetName>test</TargetName> <TargetExt>.exe</TargetExt> </PropertyGroup>

Should there be some settings that will let the VS (and I mean the VisualStudio itself, not a linker) know that the target is a console application?

Besides, how did you set /SUBSYSTEM:CONSOLE explicitly in the build script?

I can add explicit command line arguments for the specific compilation target.

Is it possible for you to share us some steps to reproduce this issue?

I think it's impossible, the build system is quite complex.
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Igor Pavlov 0 Reputation points

2023-12-28T12:14:42.8833333+00:00

@David Lowndes

Oddly, the behaviour you describe is the opposite I normally have.

It's important to note that my project is fully built by an external build system (Bazel). That build system creates some stub projects for the VS to manage the code. I don't know what this project type is but it's not a VS native console app project, however its behavior is similar to the native project.

For your project, what do you have for the Linker, System, SubSystem setting?

May I ask you to be more specific on the options? How do these settings are mapped to the command line options?

For me, a console project has Console (/SUBSYSTEM:CONSOLE)

I've checked the Subsystem field of the IMAGE_OPTIONAL_HEADER32 structure from the output exe and it has the IMAGE_SUBSYSTEM_WINDOWS_CUI (3) value.
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David Lowndes 2,555 Reputation points MVP

2023-12-28T12:25:59.5533333+00:00

It's the linker /SUBSYSTEM option, either /SUBSYSTEM:CONSOLE or absent altogether.

Igor Pavlov 0 Reputation points

2023-12-28T12:59:27.1+00:00

@scofeild618
Looks promising, but I can't make it work. I've found that VS actually launches WindowsTerminal app with an (undocumented?) option -Embedding.

The full command line is:

"C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsTerminal_1.18.3181.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\WindowsTerminal.exe" -Embedding

Igor Pavlov 0 Reputation points

2023-12-28T15:45:24.2266667+00:00

The first system is Windows 11 23H2 + VS 2022, it uses the WindowsTerminal app to display console process output.
I've tested the second system that is Windows 10 22H2 + VS 2019, it uses the cmd.exe to display console process output.
The window closing behavior is the same in both cases.
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How to set a custom PS profile for VS Start Without Debugging action?

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