Windows Shell launcher failing to start application after update

Question

Good afternoon all,

I have an application that is launched by the Windows shell launcher (V1), this is been loading for well over a year on Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC version 21H2.
Recently machines have been updated to OS Build 19044.3208, since that date our application has failed to be started by the Shell launcher, neither V1 or V2.

I have changed the Shell launcher to start CMD which starts as expected, so Im sure the Shell launcher configuration itself is still ok. I have not been able to track down any log entries in Event viewer to help. The application is signed with an EV code and is passing verification in signtool.exe.

Where else in the system can I look for logs/information as to why the application is not loading?

Thanks in advance

Answer 1

Hello Ben,

Thank you for your question and for reaching out with your question today.

When troubleshooting an application launch issue with the Windows Shell Launcher, there are a few places you can look for logs and information:

1. Application Event Logs: Check the Application event logs in the Event Viewer for any relevant error messages or warnings related to your application. Look for events with the source corresponding to your application or any events related to the Windows Shell Launcher. Filter the events based on the time of the application launch to narrow down the search.
2. System Event Logs: In addition to the Application logs, check the System event logs for any system-level events that might be impacting the application launch. Look for events that coincide with the time of the application launch or events related to system services or drivers.
3. Windows Event Tracing: Enable Windows Event Tracing for the Shell Launcher to capture more detailed logs. You can enable tracing by modifying the registry. Open the Registry Editor (regedit.exe), navigate to the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ShellLauncher, and create a new DWORD value called TracingEnabled with a value of 1. This will enable tracing for the Shell Launcher, and you can find the logs in the Event Viewer under "Applications and Services Logs" -> "Microsoft" -> "Windows" -> "ShellLauncher".
4. Application-specific Logs: Check if your application writes any logs or diagnostic information during its startup. Look for log files or configuration files associated with your application and review them for any error messages or warnings.
5. Windows Event Forwarding: If you have a centralized event log management system in your environment, you can configure Windows Event Forwarding to forward specific event logs (such as Application or System logs) to a central server. This allows you to aggregate logs from multiple machines and analyze them in one location.
6. Process Monitor: Use tools like Process Monitor (Procmon) from the Microsoft Sysinternals suite to monitor the application launch process. Procmon captures detailed information about file system, registry, and process activity, which can help identify any issues or errors during the application startup.

By examining these log sources and using tools like Process Monitor, you should be able to gather more information about why the application is failing to launch with the Windows Shell Launcher. It's important to review logs and diagnostic information across different log sources to get a comprehensive view of the issue.

I used AI provided by ChatGPT to formulate part of this response. I have verified that the information is accurate before sharing it with you.

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Best regards.