exec()

Andy33

Hi.

I'm trying to get a script which runs at command line to use the exec command. Safe mode is DEFINATELY off.

However, I can't make it work on 2003/XP. I'm running with administrator rights so I can't think of any sensible reason why it won't work.

The script simply gets stuck at the exec() command - i.e. ignores the exec() command and and scripting that should happen after it.

Excitingly, it works fine on my 98s - same installation, run over the network, but it doesn't work locally on the 2003 or on any XPs over the network

I've read loads of forums but haven't found anything helpful, please can someone help me?

Thanks in advance

Merve

Show your code and we'll be happy to help. If you don't show any code, we can't help you!

Andy33

Hi.

I simplified my code all the way down to try to make it work - i'm trying first of all to make the following code work:

<?PHP
print "proof it started";
exec("copy C:\a.file C:\another.file");
print "it worked";
?>

(I see the "proof it started" but not the "it worked" - i.e. it hangs on the exec() every time, with any command

It works in on my windows 98s and I managed to make it work on the XP after adding "memory_limit = 0" to php.ini . However, it still won't work on the 2003 server.

It's the same php installation on all the pcs - it's "installed" on the 2003 and the other pcs just access it across the network

Thanks a lot in advance

Stelf

I was looking for a solution to a problem I had and stumbled across this post.

I read some information on http://www.php.net/exec that might help you in relation to Windows Server 2003.

To clarify even more about what has been said in the last few posts:

"exec", "backticks", "system" and so on will fail on Windows 2003 by default.

You must modify the security on cmd.exe to give the user account IUSR-computername the necessary permissions which are at least read & execute.

Andy33

Thanks for replying

I don't use ISUR_localmachine because of the difference in rights, it is a standard user with identical rights to those who log on (I can't see how this puts my server at risk, if anyone does, please point out why). Therefore it has access to CMD.exe etc.

I reinstalled windows because of some spyware/malware issue which caused winlogon to not be able to "write" to memory (couldn't get any help on the net) and because the PC was underperforming drastically

The re-install did make EXEC work from PHP ran on the command line. However, it still won't work from IIS. It gives a completely new and exciting error:

Warning: exec(): Unable to fork [copy D:\test\a.txt D:\test\b.txt] in D:\users\web\copy.php on line 3

(That's a new script, I either lost or deleted the last one - it does the same thing)

Thanks a lot