nsProcess

nsProcess is a NSIS plugin that allows to handle processes (checking if a process is running, killing it, etc.). It is very useful to check if your the application you're trying to install is not currently running at the same time of the installer.

This repository is just a convenient way to get up-to-date and pre-compiled files for the nsProcess. It is a fork that benefits from simdsoft improvements.

Credits

Its original source files were downloaded from its official page, based itself on the files provided in NSIS forums.

• Its original author is Shengalts Aleksander.
• Source function FIND_PROC_BY_NAME based upon Ravi Kochhar code.
• FindProcDLL plugin by iceman_k.
• KillProcDLL plugin by DITMan.
• NSIS UNICODE-compatible version (1.6) by brainsucker.
• Various improvements by simdsoft.

Features

• Find a process by name.
• Kill all processes with specified name (not only one).
• Close all processes with specified name (first tries to close all process windows, waits for 3 seconds for process to exit, terminates if still alive, use _CloseProcess function).
• The process name is case-insensitive.
• Win95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP/Win7/Win8/Win10/Win11 support.
• Finds processes of other user(s) when running 'as Administrator' or when having switched to another user.
• Small plugin size (4 Kb).
• NSIS UNICODE support.

Build

1. Get submodules.

   git submodule update --init --recursive`

2. Use the Visual Studio solution provided, with the IDE or directly from CLI:

   Invoke-Native-Command -Command "msbuild" `
               -Arguments ("nsProcess.sln", '/p:Configuration="Release UNICODE"', "/p:Platform=Win32")

Installation

• nsProcess.nsh goes to C:\Program Files (x86)\NSIS\Include
• nsProcess.dll goes to: C:\Program Files (x86)\NSIS\Plugins\x86-ansi
• nsProcess_unicode.dll goes to: C:\Program Files (x86)\NSIS\Plugins\x86-unicode
  • NB: Rename it nsProcess.dll.

Usage

Include the file in your .nsi script with:

!include "nsProcess.nsh"

Find a Process

${nsProcess::FindProcess} "[file.exe]" $var

Result of the call goes into $var.

Code	Meaning
0	Success.
603	Process was not currently running.
604	Unable to identify system type.
605	Unsupported OS.
606	Unable to load NTDLL.DLL.
607	Unable to get procedure address from NTDLL.DLL.
608	NtQuerySystemInformation failed.
609	Unable to load KERNEL32.DLL.
610	Unable to get procedure address from KERNEL32.DLL.
611	CreateToolhelp32Snapshot failed.

Example:

${nsProcess::FindProcess} "notepad.exe" $R0

Kill/Close a Process

${nsProcess::KillProcess} "[file.exe]" $var
${nsProcess::CloseProcess} "[file.exe]" $var

Code	Meaning
0	Success.
601	No permission to terminate process.
602	Not all processes terminated successfully.
603	Process was not currently running.
604	Unable to identify system type.
605	Unsupported OS.
606	Unable to load NTDLL.DLL.
607	Unable to get procedure address from NTDLL.DLL.
608	NtQuerySystemInformation failed.
609	Unable to load KERNEL32.DLL.
610	Unable to get procedure address from KERNEL32.DLL.
611	CreateToolhelp32Snapshot failed.

Example:

nsProcess:_CloseProcess "notepad.exe"
Pop $R0

Unload Plugin

${nsProcess::Unload}

Example

!include "LogicLib.nsh"

Var /GLOBAL noMoreAppsAreRunning

!macro CheckIfAppIsRunning
  StrCpy $noMoreAppsAreRunning False

  ${Do}
    ${nsProcess::FindProcess} "${APP_EXECUTABLE}" $R0
    ${If} $R0 == 0 # The process is currently running.
      MessageBox MB_OKCANCEL|MB_ICONEXCLAMATION "$(CheckIfAppIsRunning_Message)" IDOK msgbox_ok IDCANCEL msgbox_quit

      msgbox_ok:
      ${nsProcess::CloseProcess} "${APP_EXECUTABLE}" $R0
      ${If} $R0 == 0
        Goto msgbox_end
      ${Else}
        Goto msgbox_quit
      ${Endif}

      msgbox_quit:
      Quit

      msgbox_end:
    ${ElseIf} $R0 == 603 # No more processes are running.
      StrCpy $noMoreAppsAreRunning True
    ${Else} # Error
      MessageBox MB_OK|MB_ICONSTOP "$(CheckIfAppIsRunning_Error_Find)"
      Quit
    ${EndIf}
  ${LoopUntil} $noMoreAppsAreRunning == True

  ${nsProcess::Unload}
!macroend

!insertmacro CheckIfAppIsRunning

License

This software is licensed under the zlib license.

Copyright (c) 2021 Shengalts Aleksander.