reference a windows shell interface using .net 4.0

Question

I am using the following code to reference a shell dll

            Type t = Type.GetTypeFromProgID("Shell.Application");

            Shell s = (Shell)Activator.CreateInstance(t);


            Console.WriteLine("success");
            Console.ReadLine();

It works fine on my windows 7 development machine.But when I try running the exe on Win 2003 server I get this exception

Unable to cast COM object of type 'System.__ComObject' to interface type 'Shell3
2.Shell'. This operation failed because the QueryInterface call on the COM compo
nent for the interface with IID '{866738B9-6CF2-4DE8-8767-F794EBE74F4E}' failed
due to the following error: No such interface supported (Exception from HRESULT:
0x80004002 (E_NOINTERFACE)).

I took some help from C#: Referencing a windows shell interface but no luck.

I am referencing shell using Microsoft Shell Controls and Automation reference which is Interop.Shell32 dll

If someone can guide it will really helpful.

It's old, I don't think the guids have changed but who knows. Run regedit.exe on that machine and navigate to HKCR\Shell.Application. Verify that the CLSID key value is {13709620-C279-11CE-A49E-444553540000} — Hans Passant
– Hans Passant, Commented Aug 22, 2012 at 16:16
There is a simpler solution, see stackoverflow.com/a/24967301/625349 — Clint Priest
– Clint Priest, Commented Mar 5, 2017 at 14:32

user1131926 · Accepted Answer · 2012-08-22 16:22:44Z

20

Ok,this is how I got through the problem incase it helps someone

This is how my new code looks like

Type t = Type.GetTypeFromProgID("Shell.Application");

dynamic shell = Activator.CreateInstance(t);

//This is browse through all the items in the folder
var objFolder = shell.NameSpace(@"\\fileshares\Files\test");

foreach (var item in objFolder.Items())
{
    //This is to get the file's comments for each files in the folderitem

    string file_version = objFolder.GetDetailsOf(item, 14).ToString();

     Console.WriteLine(file_version);

}

This script is by combining help from http://nerdynotes.blogspot.com/2008/06/vbnet-shell32-code-compiled-on-vista.html

and

http://foro.h-sec.org/net/problemas-en-net/

The second link is in spanish,I used google translate to make it up in English

Thanks to all who replied to this question

answered Aug 22, 2012 at 16:22

user1131926

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1 Comment

blitz_jones Over a year ago

FYI there is another similar solution for this same problem here that might be helpful: stackoverflow.com/questions/26646068/…

JMarsch · Accepted Answer · 2012-08-22 14:27:02Z

1

Have a look at this: http://nerdynotes.blogspot.com/2008/06/vbnet-shell32-code-compiled-on-vista.html I think it's the same issue.

answered Aug 22, 2012 at 14:27

JMarsch

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1 Comment

user1131926 Over a year ago

I had tried that option before posting the question in stackoverflow.I can create an object using object shell = Activator.CreateInstance(t); But then I am not sure how can I use the namespace property.I tried to use it as suggested in one og the comments of the link you posted but had no luck with that as well.

Keith Mason · Accepted Answer · 2013-05-06 20:32:28Z

1

Instead of

Type t = Type.GetTypeFromProgID("Shell.Application");

dynamic shell = Activator.CreateInstance(t);

I used

var shell = (IShellDispatch4) new Shell();

shell.Namespace then works as expected.

Turns out that reference for a shell object defaults to IShellDispatch5, which can't be used in XP or 2003.

answered May 6, 2013 at 20:32

Keith Mason

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1 Comment

Newbee Over a year ago

I could not get the option IShellDispatch4 in my C# code (4.0). Do I need to add any reference?

fededim · Accepted Answer · 2023-09-21 21:26:56Z

0

You can reference directly the COM component %SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll (ProgID Shell.Application):

Right click project file --> Add --> Com Reference --> Browse --> Select %SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll. You should be seeing in Dependencies/COM node in Visual Studio Interop.Shell32. Click on it and change "Embed Interop Types" from Yes to No (if you use Net Core).
You can then use this simple code

var shell = new ShellClass();

edited Sep 21, 2023 at 21:26

answered Sep 21, 2023 at 21:16

fededim

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