UI of Process is not visible after Process.Start()

Question

I have made a WCF Service and it contains a method string SaveVideoInformation()

The purpose of this method is to run a process if it is not running. Following is the code of that method.

 public string SaveVideoInformation(string ID, string videoName)
    {
        string Result = null;
        try
        {
            Result = Insert(ID, videoName);
            Process[] pname = Process.GetProcessesByName("AutoRunVideoWaterMarkingTook");
            if (pname.Length == 0)
            {
                Result += " | Trying to run Process";
                try
                {
                    Process process = Process.Start(@"~\Debug\AutoRunVideoWaterMarkingTook.exe");
                    Result += " | Process Ran Successfully";
                }
                catch (Exception ex)
                {
                    Result += " | Exception While Running the process";
                    throw new Exception("Unable to start Process);
                }
            }
            else
            {
                Result += "|Process Already Running";
            }
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            Result = "Not Done," + ex.Message;
        }
        return Result;
    }

The problem I am facing is when i call this method from Windows Form Tool Application, it run successfully and i can see the UI.

but when i call this method from Windows Service, Process Starts but its UI is not visible.

Answer 1

That is most likely because your Windows Service is not in user interactive mode.

You have to enable this from the Services panel, as described in this blog: Check the Allow service to interact with desktop in the service properties Log On page.

Also read Microsofts recommendations on user interactive services.