How to launch an EXE from Web page (asp.net)

Solution 1:

This assumes the exe is somewhere you know on the user's computer:

<a href="javascript:LaunchApp()">Launch the executable</a>

<script>
function LaunchApp() {
if (!document.all) {
  alert ("Available only with Internet Explorer.");
  return;
}
var ws = new ActiveXObject("WScript.Shell");
ws.Exec("C:\\Windows\\notepad.exe");
}
</script>

Documentation: ActiveXObject, Exec Method (Windows Script Host).

Solution 2:

How about something like:

<a href="\\DangerServer\Downloads\MyVirusArchive.exe" 
  type="application/octet-stream">Don't download this file!</a>

Solution 3:

You can see how iTunes does it by using Fiddler to follow the action when using the link: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=80028216

It downloads a js file
On windows: the js file determines if iTunes was installed on the computer or not: looks for an activeX browser component if IE, or a browser plugin if FF
If iTunes is installed then the browser is redirected to an URL with a special transport: itms://...
The browser invokes the handler (provided by the iTunes exe). This includes starting up the exe if it is not already running.
iTunes exe uses the rest of the special url to show a specific page to the user.

Note that the exe, when installed, installed URL protocol handlers for "itms" transport with the browsers.

Not a simple engineering project to duplicate, but definitely do-able. If you go ahead with this, please consider making the relevant software open source.

Solution 4:

In windows, specified protocol for application can be registered in Registry. In this msdn doc shows Registering an Application to a URI Scheme.

For example, an executable files 'alert.exe' is to be started. The following item can be registered.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
   alert
      (Default) = "URL:Alert Protocol"
      URL Protocol = ""
      DefaultIcon
         (Default) = "alert.exe,1"
      shell
         open
            command
               (Default) = "C:\Program Files\Alert\alert.exe"

Then you can write a html to test

<head>
    <title>alter</title>
</head>

<body>
    <a href="alert:" >alert</a>
<body>

Solution 5:

As part of the solution that Larry K suggested, registering your own protocol might be a possible solution. The web page could contain a simple link to download and install the application - which would then register its own protocol in the Windows registry.

The web page would then contain links with parameters that would result in the registerd program being opened and any parameters specified in the link being passed to it. There's a good description of how to do this on MSDN