System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo.UseShellExecute property

This article provides supplementary remarks to the reference documentation for this API.

The ProcessStartInfo class specifies a set of values that are used when you start a process.

Setting the UseShellExecute property to false enables you to redirect input, output, and error streams.

The word "shell" in this context (UseShellExecute) refers to a graphical shell (similar to the Windows shell) rather than command shells (for example, bash or sh) and lets users launch graphical applications or open documents.

When you use the operating system shell to start processes, you can start any document (which is any registered file type associated with an executable that has a default open action) and perform operations on the file, such as printing, by using the Process object. When UseShellExecute is false, you can start only executables by using the Process object.

The WorkingDirectory property behaves differently depending on the value of the UseShellExecute property. When UseShellExecute is true, the WorkingDirectory property specifies the location of the executable. If WorkingDirectory is an empty string, it's assumed that the current directory contains the executable.

When UseShellExecute is false, the WorkingDirectory property is not used to find the executable. Instead, it is used only by the process that is started and has meaning only within the context of the new process. When UseShellExecute is false, the FileName property can be either a fully qualified path to the executable, or a simple executable name that the system will attempt to find within folders specified by the PATH environment variable. The interpretation of the search path depends on the operating system. For more information, enter HELP PATH or man sh at a command prompt.