SilentLauncher

docs/apps/silentlauncher.md

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+---
+id: 'b0b9f423-eee3-4148-b8a0-e99400c45698'
+slug: /b0b9f423-eee3-4148-b8a0-e99400c45698
+title: 'SilentLauncher'
+title_meta: 'SilentLauncher'
+keywords: ['silent-launcher', 'silent-script-launcher', 'ps1-launcher', 'cmd-launcher', 'script-launcher', 'scheduled-task', 'scheduled-task-script-launcher']
+description: 'SilentLauncher is a lightweight command-line tool for Windows designed to execute PowerShell and Batch scripts completely invisibly.'
+tags: ['deployment', 'windows', 'application']
+draft: false
+unlisted: false
+last_update:
+  date: 2026-07-22
+---
+
+<br />
+<div align="center">
+  <a href="https://content.provaltech.com/docs/b0b9f423-eee3-4148-b8a0-e99400c45698">
+    <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ProVal-Tech/proval-docs/refs/heads/main/static/img/docs/b0b9f423-eee3-4148-b8a0-e99400c45698/icon.webp" alt="Logo" width="200" height="200" />
+  </a>
+
+  <h3 align="center">SilentLauncher</h3>
+
+  <p align="center">Execute PowerShell and CMD scripts silently from Task Scheduler without flashing a console window.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+## About
+
+SilentLauncher is a lightweight command-line tool for Windows designed to execute PowerShell and Batch scripts completely invisibly.
+
+When you run a script using Windows Task Scheduler, the system often flashes a black console window on the screen for a fraction of a second, even if you configure the task to run hidden. Traditionally, IT teams used a VBScript (`wscript.exe`) wrapper to hide this window. However, modern Antivirus and EDR solutions frequently block VBScript from launching PowerShell due to security heuristics, and Microsoft is actively deprecating VBScript.
+
+SilentLauncher solves this problem. Built as a native Windows GUI application, it uses the Windows API `CREATE_NO_WINDOW` flag to launch your scripts. This guarantees zero window flashing and bypasses the security restrictions associated with legacy VBScript wrappers.
+
+### Features
+
+- 🚫 **Zero Window Flashing**: Compiled as a GUI subsystem app with native Windows API flags.
+- 🛡️ **EDR/AV Friendly**: No VBScript, no PowerShell obfuscation, just a clean, signed binary.
+- 🔄 **Accurate Exit Codes**: Passes the exact exit code of your script back to Task Scheduler or your RMM.
+- 📝 **Built-in Logging**: Automatically logs execution details and rotates the log file at 2 MB.
+- ⚡ **Zero Dependencies**: Compiles to a single native binary. No runtime required.
+
+### Built With
+
+- [Go](https://go.dev/) — the programming language used to build this lightweight, dependency-free utility.
+- [golang.org/x/sys/windows](https://pkg.go.dev/golang.org/x/sys/windows) — for providing the native Windows API bindings (specifically `CREATE_NO_WINDOW`) that enable truly silent, flicker-free execution.
+- [goversioninfo](https://github.com/josephspurrier/goversioninfo) — the tool used to embed version metadata and custom icons into the compiled Windows executable.
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+- Windows OS
+
+## Usage
+
+SilentLauncher is designed to be called from Task Scheduler, RMM scripts, or command-line automation. It accepts a `-script` parameter for the file path and automatically passes any remaining arguments directly to your target script.
+
+### Arguments
+
+| Name             | Example                        | Description                                                                                       |
+| ---------------- | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `-script`        | `"C:\Scripts\MyScript.ps1"`    | The absolute path to the PowerShell (`.ps1`) or Batch (`.cmd` / `.bat`) script you want to execute. |
+| `[arguments]`    | `-Config "C:\config.xml"`      | Any arguments provided after the script path are passed directly and safely to the target script. |
+
+SilentLauncher automatically detects the file extension and uses the correct executor:
+
+- For `.ps1` files: Uses `powershell.exe` with `-NoProfile`, `-NonInteractive`, `-ExecutionPolicy Bypass`, and `-WindowStyle Hidden`.
+- For `.cmd` or `.bat` files: Uses `cmd.exe /c`.
+
+### Examples
+
+**1. Run a PowerShell script silently (no parameters):**
+
+```console
+SilentLauncher.exe -script "C:\ProgramData\Automation\Script.ps1"
+```
+
+**2. Run a PowerShell script with multiple parameter types (strings with spaces, booleans, integers):**
+
+```console
+SilentLauncher.exe -script "C:\ProgramData\Automation\Deploy.ps1" -TargetServer "Server-01" -Port 443 -Force
+```
+
+**3. Run a Batch/CMD script silently with installer switches:**
+
+```console
+SilentLauncher.exe -script "C:\ProgramData\Automation\Install.cmd" /quiet /norestart LOGFILE="C:\Logs\install.log"
+```
+
+**4. Run a script with complex, quoted arguments:**
+
+```console
+SilentLauncher.exe -script "C:\ProgramData\Automation\Notify.ps1" -Message "System update required. Please save your work." -Priority High
+```
+
+## Logging
+
+Every run appends a line-by-line log of what happened to `SilentLauncher.log`. This file is created in the exact same directory as the `SilentLauncher.exe` executable.
+
+The log records:
+
+- Initialization and the current executing user.
+- The exact arguments received by the launcher.
+- The fully resolved execution command.
+- The final exit code (success or failure).
+
+The log file is strictly capped at **2 MB**. Once it exceeds this size, the launcher automatically truncates it to prevent unbounded disk growth.
+
+## Running from Task Scheduler or an RMM
+
+To use SilentLauncher in Windows Task Scheduler, configure a new task with the following action:
+
+1. **Action:** Start a program
+2. **Program/script:** `C:\Path\To\SilentLauncher.exe`
+3. **Add arguments:** `-script "C:\Path\To\YourScript.ps1" -YourParam "Value"`
+
+*(Optional but recommended)*: In the Task Scheduler "General" tab, ensure "Run whether user is logged on or not" is selected, and check "Run with highest privileges" if your script requires Administrator rights.
+
+The executable will start, launch your script in the background without any UI, wait for it to finish, and then exit. The exit code returned to Task Scheduler will **exactly match** the exit code of your script, allowing your RMM or monitoring tools to accurately detect success or failure.
+
+## Changelog
+
+### 2026-07-22
+
+- Initial version of the document