CSV.ToastNotifier

A lightweight Windows toast notification utility for environments with PowerShell language mode restrictions.

🎯 Purpose

This tool enables Windows toast notifications in corporate environments where PowerShell is restricted to Constrained Language Mode, preventing access to Windows.UI.Notifications .NET objects. It provides a native executable solution that works without administrative privileges.

✨ Features

• No Admin Required - Runs under standard user privileges
• Minimal Size - ~20KB executable without embedded icon
• Secure - Input validation, path sanitization, XML injection prevention
• Native Templates - Uses proper Windows toast templates (ToastImageAndText01/02, ToastText01/02)
• Customizable - Title, message, icon, audio, and notification types
• Windows 11 Ready - Tested on Windows 11 x64 v23H2

📋 Requirements

Runtime

• Windows 10/11 (tested on Windows 11 x64 v23H2)
• .NET Framework 4.8 (pre-installed on Windows 10/11)
• Standard user account (no admin privileges required)

Build

• .NET Framework 4.8
• Windows SDK 10.0.26100.0 or compatible version
• 64-bit Windows OS

🚀 Usage

Basic Notification

CSV.ToastNotifier.exe -m "Hello World" -s "MyApp"

With Title

CSV.ToastNotifier.exe -m "Build completed" -s "BuildSystem" -t "Success"

Custom Icon and Sound

CSV.ToastNotifier.exe -m "Meeting starting" -s "Calendar" -t "Reminder" -i "C:\Icons\meeting.png" -a "C:\Sounds\chime.wav"

Silent Notification

CSV.ToastNotifier.exe -m "Background task finished" -s "Backup" --muted

Long Reminder

CSV.ToastNotifier.exe -m "Important deadline" -s "TaskManager" --type reminder

Command Line Arguments

Argument	Short	Description	Max Length
--message	-m	Notification message (required)	256 chars
--source	-s	Application name (required)	32 chars
--title	-t	Notification title	32 chars
--icon	-i	Path to PNG icon file	259 chars
--audio	-a	Path to WAV audio file	259 chars
--muted		Disable notification sound
--type		Type: default, reminder, alarm, incomingCall, urgent
--help	-h, /?	Show help message

🔨 Building

Using build.bat:

Important

Read before using build.bat: DO NOT COPY build.bat to other project directory without testing and modification of build.bat as needed. Create a backup of larger project before using build.bat there.

Warning

build.bat will perform cleanup of the following directories:

CSV.ToastNotifier\Source Files\bin
CSV.ToastNotifier\Source Files\obj

build.bat will perform cleanup of the following files:

CSV.ToastNotifier\Release\CSV.ToastNotifier.pdb
CSV.ToastNotifier\Source Files\Release\CSV.ToastNotifier.pdb

build.bat can perform 2 types of build: LocalBuild and ProjectBuild. build.bat will choose build type automatically - based on location of build.bat file.

Project Build:

If running build.bat from 'CSV.ToastNotifier\Build System' output will be in 'CSV.ToastNotifier\Release'.

LocalBuild:

If running build.bat from 'CSV.ToastNotifier\Source Files' output will be in 'CSV.ToastNotifier\Source Files\Release'.

build.bat supports compiling project '.csproj' file with MSBuild dotnet and supports compiling directly with .NET Framework 4.8 csc.exe.

No arguments - performs project '.csproj' compilation with MSBuild dotnet:

Build.bat

Explicit project '.csproj' compilation with MSBuild dotnet:

Build.bat /usedotnet

Explicit direct compilation with .NET Framework 4.8 csc.exe compiler:

Build.bat /useframework

build.bat will automatically include 'CSV.ToastNotifier.manifest' and 'Icon.ico' if found near source file.

Direct CSC Compilation

C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\csc.exe /target:exe /out:CSV.ToastNotifier.exe /platform:x64 ^
    /reference:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\UnionMetadata\10.0.26100.0\Windows.winmd" ^
    /reference:"C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\System.Runtime.WindowsRuntime.dll" ^
    /reference:"C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\System.Runtime.dll" ^
    /reference:"C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\System.Runtime.InteropServices.WindowsRuntime.dll" ^
    /optimize+ /debug:pdbonly /win32manifest:CSV.ToastNotifier.manifest ^
    CSV.ToastNotifier.cs

Using MSBuild

msbuild CSV.ToastNotifier.csproj /p:Configuration=Release /p:Platform=x64

Using dotnet CLI

dotnet build CSV.ToastNotifier.csproj -c Release -o Release
dotnet publish CSV.ToastNotifier.csproj -c Release -o Release

📦 Dependencies

Runtime

• .NET Framework 4.8
• Windows.UI.Notifications (Windows Runtime)

Build

• Windows SDK 10.0.26100.0 or later
  • Provides Windows.winmd for Windows Runtime APIs
  • Download: https://developer.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/windows-sdk/

🔐 Code Signing

With PFX Certificate

signtool sign /f "certificate.pfx" /p "password" /t http://timestamp.digicert.com CSV.ToastNotifier.exe

With Certificate Store

signtool sign /n "Certificate Name" /t http://timestamp.digicert.com CSV.ToastNotifier.exe

Using Build.bat

Build.bat /sign /cert "certificate.pfx" /pass "password"

🔒 Security

• Input Validation - Length limits enforced on all text inputs
• Path Security - Regex validation prevents directory traversal
• XML Safety - Invalid XML characters removed
• File Verification - Binary signature validation for PNG/WAV
• System Protection - Blocks access to Windows system directories
• Size Limits - 1MB for PNG, 10MB for WAV files

📊 Binary Verification

SHA-256 Hash

[To be updated with official release hash]
CSV.ToastNotifier.exe: ________________________________________________________________

Verify with:

certutil -hashfile CSV.ToastNotifier.exe SHA256

⚙️ Technical Details

• Language: C# 5.0
• Framework: .NET Framework 4.8
• Target: x64 Windows
• Templates: ToastImageAndText01/02, ToastText01/02
• Output Type: WinExe (no console window)

📝 License

MIT License - Copyright © 2025 Jon Damvi

⚠️ Known Issues

• Icon shows small if Windows visual effects disabled (System → Performance → "Adjust for best appearance")
• Focus Assist blocks notifications when enabled
• Line 282 contains iconPathValid = true; debug code

🔧 Build.bat Updates Needed

Current Build.bat references Windows SDK path directly. Update line:

/reference:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\UnionMetadata\10.0.26100.0\Windows.winmd" ^