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We have a program that sits on a server and should always be running, but it is important that only one instance of it should be running. We added a registry key in 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run' so that it would run on startup.

However, we are getting a problem when multiple users log into the server over remote desktop - an instance is starting for each user. How can we get it so that it starts only once, no matter how many users are logged in?

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    Use a batch (cmd) file that checks to see if it is already running. If it running then exit otherwise start the program.
    – DavidPostill ♦
    Aug 27, 2015 at 9:45
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    As @DavidPostill says, use a script. Change your run registry to point to your script that checks. Ideally, however, you shouldn't be messing with the registry... Windows has a useful set of tools called Scheduled Tasks than can be set to run when a/any user logs in...
    – Kinnectus
    Aug 27, 2015 at 9:49
  • Add the program as a service - then assign 1 logon user and put the startup type as automatic
    – Jay
    Aug 27, 2015 at 9:50
  • Thanks everyone for your input - you helped me get to a decent solution (please see answer for details)
    – user1578653
    Aug 27, 2015 at 10:27

1 Answer 1

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Thanks to @DavidPostill for guiding me in the right direction.

I made a batch file as suggested, using the following question on stackoverflow as a basis: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/162291/how-to-check-if-a-process-is-running-via-a-batch-script

Here's what I came up with:

SETLOCAL EnableExtensions
set EXE=MyProgram.exe
FOR /F %%x IN ('tasklist /NH /FI "IMAGENAME eq %EXE%"') DO IF %%x == %EXE% goto FOUND
start C:/path/to/MyProgram.exe
:FOUND

I then changed the registry entry to point at this batch file rather than the executable itself.

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