C# Copy .EXE to %APPDATA%

Gert Hasen

Hello C-Sharpcorner

I'm currently making a program in C#. It's a Windows Forms Application.

For an example, i have my .EXE, when I open the program it needs to copy it self to the %APPDATA% folder under a custom folder that i choose. This must be done silently so you can't see it acutally doing the copy (the program isn't that big yet)

I have a code for adding it to startup already, just need a common folder on Windows OS so it will work on every giving computer :)

//Gert

6 Replies

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steven broundic4y ago
Vulpes, you are big dumb i ever seen on my life, you declare application executablepath to string, we are not copying string we are copying a BYTE, leave this forum
Gert Hasen13y ago
Hey Vulpes

The code you gave me second time also worked perfectly :)

It only whines if the .exe already is in the new path :p

Thanks again, you have been a great help to me :D

//Gert
Vulpes13y ago
Incidentally, Gert, if there's any chance that the copy could be run directly from its present location, then you'll need to add some code to make sure that it doesn't create another copy or try to copy over itself.

To do that, you could replace this line:

File.Copy(exePath, copyPath);

with this (or something similar):

if (!File.Exists(copyPath) && !exePath.EndsWith("_2.exe") File.Copy(exePath, copyPath);
Vulpes13y ago
I just put the code in the context of a Program class because that's the usual place for the Main() method when you create a Windows Forms application in Visual Studio but it doesn't matter if you have it somewhere else.

I'd change the name when you make the copy rather than renaming the file later.

For example, in this line:

copyPath += "\\CustomFolderName\\" + Path.GetFileName(exePath);

you could replace Path.GetFileName(exePath) with a suitable name for the copy.

Alternatively, if you wanted to append "_2" (say) to the file name, so that myapp.exe would become myapp_2.exe after copying, you could insert this further line after the one above:

copyPath = copyPath.Replace(".exe", "_2.exe");
Gert Hasen13y ago
Thank you so much, it works perfectly <3

Would you know how to make it change name after it has copied the file to my new location?

Thanks again for the help

//Gert

EDIT: "class Program" shouldn't be there, when i add it i get a error :P
Vulpes13y ago
Try this:

// ...
using System.IO;

// ...

class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
string exePath = Application.ExecutablePath;
string copyPath = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.ApplicationData);
copyPath += "\\CustomFolderName\\" + Path.GetFileName(exePath);
File.Copy(exePath, copyPath);
// rest of code
}
}

C# Copy .EXE to %APPDATA%

Vulpes, you are big dumb i ever seen on my life, you declare application executablepath to string, we are not copying string we are copying a BYTE, leave this forum