Find my own process ID in VBScript

Question

I\'m using the following code snippet to determine what process ID my vbscript is running as:

On Error Resume Next
Dim iMyPID : iMyPID = GetObject(\"winmgmts         


        

Answer 1

Powershell can be used to retrieve the calling VBScript process ID. This approach utilizes the optional argument of the exit command which specifies the program's exit code. And, if the optional 3rd argument of the WShell.Run method is set to True, then it will return the exit code (which is the VBScript process ID) after powershell has closed.

Dim sCmd
Dim WShell

sCmd = _
"powershell -command exit " & _
"(gwmi Win32_Process -Filter " & _
"\""processid='$PID'\"").parentprocessid"
Set WShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
MsgBox WShell.Run(sCmd, 0, True)

Answer 2

I just found this thread that partly solved my problem. Thank you all.

"the code is unable to determine which process ID belongs to which script" : true, but as this is the first task that your script must achieve , you can keep the Pid that has the shortest lifetime.

 Set com = CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")

 Set objSWbemServices = GetObject ("WinMgmts:Root\Cimv2")
 Set colProcess = objSWbemServices.ExecQuery ("Select * From Win32_Process")
 dim toto, thisPid

 thisPid=""
 toto=200 ' just a high value like 200sec 
 For Each objProcess In colProcess

     If InStr (objProcess.CommandLine, WScript.ScriptName) <> 0  Then
        Ptime=((Cdbl(objProcess.UserModeTime)+Cdbl(objProcess.KernelModeTime))/10000000)
        if toto > Ptime then
            toto = Ptime
            thisPid = objProcess.ProcessId
        End If
     End If
 Next

 If thisPid="" then
    WScript.Echo "unable to get the PID"
 Else
    WScript.Echo "PID of this script : "&thisPid
 End If

Except if you fired scripts quicker more than each one can retrieve their Pid, everything must be ok.

Answer 3

mshta terminates itself immediately. Maybe it's too late to achieve parent process id by using WMI service.
So, I'd use something like this to eliminate concurrent script processes.

1. Generate random things.
2. Determine an application which could be installed on each system, never terminates by itself (e.g. command prompt with /k parameter).
3. Start the application in hidden mode with generated random argument (WshShell.Run).
4. Wait a few milliseconds
5. Query the running processes by using command line argument value.
6. Get the ParentProcessId property.

Function CurrProcessId
    Dim oShell, sCmd, oWMI, oChldPrcs, oCols, lOut
    lOut = 0
    Set oShell  = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
    Set oWMI    = GetObject(_
        "winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\.\root\cimv2")
    sCmd = "/K " & Left(CreateObject("Scriptlet.TypeLib").Guid, 38)
    oShell.Run "%comspec% " & sCmd, 0
    WScript.Sleep 100 'For healthier skin, get some sleep
    Set oChldPrcs = oWMI.ExecQuery(_
        "Select * From Win32_Process Where CommandLine Like '%" & sCmd & "'",,32)
    For Each oCols In oChldPrcs
        lOut = oCols.ParentProcessId 'get parent
        oCols.Terminate 'process terminated
        Exit For
    Next
    CurrProcessId = lOut
End Function

Dim ProcessId
ProcessId = CurrProcessId 'will remain valid indefinitely

WScript.Echo ProcessId

Answer 4

I like Kul-Tigin's idea (+1), and Asok Smith's idea (based on .Exec) deserve respect (+1), and it w'd been even better if .Exec run hidden process. So, to feed my curiosity, I also toyed with this and this's what I did.

ts1 = Timer : res1 = CurrProcessId : te1 = Timer - ts1
ts2 = Timer : res2 = ThisProcessId : te2 = Timer - ts2
WScript.Echo "CurrProcessId", res1, FormatNumber(te1, 6), _
    vbCrLf & "ThisProcessId", res2, FormatNumber(te2, 6), _
    vbCrLf & "CurrProcessId / ThisProcessId = " & te1 / te2

'> CurrProcessId 6946 0,437500
'> ThisProcessId 6946 0,015625
'> CurrProcessId / ThisProcessId = 28

Function ThisProcessId
    ThisProcessId = 0
    Dim sTFile, oPrc
    With CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
        sTFile = .BuildPath(.GetSpecialFolder(2), "sleep.vbs")
        With .OpenTextFile(sTFile, 2, True)
            .Write "WScript.Sleep 1000"
        End With
    End With
    With CreateObject("WScript.Shell").Exec("WScript " & sTFile)
        For Each oPrc In GetObject("winmgmts:\\.\root\cimv2").ExecQuery(_
        "Select * From Win32_Process Where ProcessId=" & .ProcessID)
        Exit For : Next
        ThisProcessId = oPrc.ParentProcessId
    End With
End Function

28 times faster(!), not bad :)

Answer 5

You may use Sleep from kernel32 instead of mshta.

MsgBox GetProcId()

Function GetProcId()
    With GetObject("winmgmts:\\.\root\CIMV2:Win32_Process.Handle='" & CreateObject("WScript.Shell").Exec("rundll32 kernel32,Sleep").ProcessId & "'")
        GetProcId = .ParentProcessId
        .Terminate
    End With
End Function

Code taken from here.

Also there is parent process name detection based on this approach.

Answer 6

Here is a better one, but in JScript (sorry, you translate it to VB ...)

var WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell");
var objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\\\.\\root\\cimv2");
var childProcess =
    WshShell.Exec
    (
        '"' + WshShell.Environment('PROCESS')('ComSpec') + '"'
        +
        " /C Echo \"Text lines\" && Set /p VarName="
    );
childProcess.StdOut.ReadLine();
var current_pid =
    objWMIService.ExecQuery
        (
        "Select * From Win32_Process Where ProcessId=" + childProcess.ProcessID
        );
current_pid = (new Enumerator(current_pid)).item().ParentProcessId;
if (current_pid)
{
    childProcess.StdIn.WriteLine("value");  // child process should now exit
    WScript.Echo("Current PID: " + current_pid);
}
else
{
    WScript.StdErr.WriteLine("Get current PID from WMI failed.");
    WScript.Quit(7);
}