Information Box – Modern IT Self-Service for Windows

Information Box is available as portable EXE builds from GitHub Releases (no MSIX required).

Project Information

Author & Social

Modern, secret-free IT self-service desktop app for Windows. Shows device/account/network status, warns about password expiry, exposes tenant-aware quick links, and ships with built-in “Fix” actions for common end-user issues. Portable-friendly, multi-tenant, and themeable.

Highlights

Cross-tenant, secret-free: works with Graph when available, degrades gracefully offline/LDAP.
Built-in dense mode (default) for compact UI; configurable window size/placement per tenant.
“Fix” tab ships with typed, AOT-friendly built-ins (OneDrive/Teams/VPN/Store/logs, etc.) that can be enabled/hidden/overridden via config.
Themeable (Auto/Light/Dark/Classic/Ocean/Forest/Sunset) with white-label branding.
Placeholder support in fix commands ({{SUPPORT_EMAIL}}, {{COMPANY_NAME}}, {{PRODUCT_NAME}}).
Portable deployment: single-contained, single-fx, portable, and fx outputs from one script.

Screenshots & Themes

Main status view (default)

Troubleshoot tab with live command output

Links/Local sites & status panels

System tray menu

Theme Variants

Forest theme

Light theme
Ocean theme
Sunset theme

Build & Run

# Restore
dotnet restore

# Debug build
dotnet build InformationBox/InformationBox.csproj -c Debug

# Release publish (no MSIX)
dotnet publish InformationBox/InformationBox.csproj -c Release

Deployment Flavors

pwsh Build/Deploy.ps1 produces ready-to-ship artifacts in Artefacts/:

Folder	What you get	Needs .NET?
`portable/`	Self-contained, loose files	No
`single-contained/`	Self-contained, single-file style	No
`single-fx/`	Framework-dependent, compressed single file	Yes
`fx/`	Framework-dependent, loose files (smallest)	Yes

Configuration Overview

Load order: --config <path> (future) → C:\ProgramData\InformationBox\config.json → %APPDATA%\InformationBox\config.json → embedded Assets/config.default.json.
User preferences (theme, etc.) persist in %LOCALAPPDATA%\InformationBox\settings.json.
Dense mode is the default; all layout options are configurable.

Sample skeleton

{
  "branding": { "productName": "Information Box", "supportEmail": "support@example.com" },
  "layout": { "defaultWidth": 680, "defaultHeight": 440, "denseMode": true },
  "featureFlags": { "showLocalSites": true, "showContacts": true, "showHelp": true, "showHealth": false },
  "links": [],
  "zones": [],
  "localSites": [],
  "contacts": [],
  "passwordPolicy": { "onPremDays": 360, "cloudDays": 180 },
  "fixes": [],
  "tenantOverrides": {},
  "auth": { "clientId": "" },
  "health": { "cacheSeconds": 30 },
  "security": { "allowElevation": false }
}

Branding

"branding": {
  "productName": "Information Box",
  "companyName": "Evotec",
  "primaryColor": "#0050b3",
  "secondaryColor": "#e5f1ff",
  "logo": "Assets/logo.png",
  "logoWidth": 0,
  "logoHeight": 40,
  "icon": "Assets/app.ico",
  "theme": "Auto",
  "supportEmail": "support@example.com"
}

Property	Default	Notes
`productName`	Information Box	Window title / header text
`companyName`	Evotec	Shown under the header
`logo`	Assets/logo.png	PNG recommended; `logoWidth=0` auto-scales
`logoHeight`	40	Height in px
`icon`	Assets/app.ico	Window/taskbar icon
`theme`	Auto	Auto/Light/Dark/Classic/Ocean/Forest/Sunset
`supportEmail`	support@contoso.com	Used by email/log collection actions

Layout & Placement

"layout": {
  "startMinimized": false,
  "defaultWidth": 680,
  "defaultHeight": 440,
  "horizontalAnchor": "Right",
  "verticalAnchor": "Bottom",
  "offsetX": 0,
  "offsetY": 0,
  "preferredCorner": "BottomRight",
  "multiMonitor": "Active",
  "trayOnly": false,
  "minimizeOnClose": true,
  "denseMode": true,
  "maxContentWidth": 0
}

Property	Default	Description
`defaultWidth`	680	Initial window width
`defaultHeight`	440	Initial window height
`horizontalAnchor`	Right	Left / Center / Right
`verticalAnchor`	Bottom	Top / Center / Bottom
`offsetX` / `offsetY`	0	Pixel offsets from anchor
`multiMonitor`	Active	Active / Primary / DisplayIndex
`trayOnly`	false	Hide main window; run only from tray
`minimizeOnClose`	true	Close/X hides to tray instead of exiting
`denseMode`	true	Tighter padding/spacing
`maxContentWidth`	0	Cap content width (0 = no cap)

Feature Flags

"featureFlags": {
  "showLocalSites": true,
  "showHelp": true,
  "showContacts": true,
  "showHealth": false
}

Links, Zones, and Local Sites

"links": [ { "name": "Create Ticket", "url": "https://helpdesk.example.com", "section": "Support", "visible": true, "order": 1 } ],
"zones": [ { "domain": "corp.example.com", "zone": "HQ" } ],
"localSites": [ { "label": "Intranet", "url": "https://intranet.example.com", "zone": "HQ", "visible": true, "order": 1 } ],
"contacts": [ { "label": "IT Service Desk", "email": "servicedesk@example.com", "phone": "+1-800-555-0100" } ]

Zones resolve from USERDNSDOMAIN; Local Sites are auto-filtered by current zone.

Fix Actions

Typed, override-friendly model. Leave command empty to reuse the built-in script; set visible: false to hide.

Elevation behavior:

By default the app does not trigger UAC prompts; actions marked requiresAdmin: true run without elevation and may fail if the process isn't already elevated.
Set security.allowElevation: true to allow UAC prompts for admin actions.

"fixes": [
  {
    "id": "restart-onedrive",
    "name": "Restart OneDrive",
    "description": "Close and restart OneDrive sync client",
    "category": "OneDrive",
    "command": "",
    "confirm": "OneDrive will be restarted. Continue?",
    "visible": true,
    "order": 1
  }
]

Built-ins (override by id):

ID	Description
restart-onedrive	Restart OneDrive sync client
reset-teams-cache	Clear Microsoft Teams cache
clear-edge-cache	Open Edge cache clear dialog
clear-chrome-cache	Open Chrome cache clear dialog
wsreset	Reset Microsoft Store cache
collect-logs	Collect diagnostics to Desktop zip
email-logs	Collect logs, open mailto to support
reset-vpn-adapter	Toggle VPN adapters
repair-outlook-teams-addin	Re-register Teams meeting add-in for Outlook

Placeholders inside commands:

{{SUPPORT_EMAIL}}
{{COMPANY_NAME}}
{{PRODUCT_NAME}}

Placeholders are replaced with a PowerShell-safe single-quoted literal. Use placeholders as standalone expressions (not embedded inside an existing quoted string).

Password Policy

"passwordPolicy": {
  "onPremDays": 360,
  "cloudDays": 180
}

Tenant Overrides

"tenantOverrides": {
  "tenant-guid-here": {
    "branding": { "productName": "Client Portal", "supportEmail": "support@client.com" },
    "layout": { "defaultWidth": 720, "denseMode": true }
  }
}

Technical Architecture

Application Startup Flow

flowchart TD
    A[App.OnStartup] --> B[Load Configuration]
    B --> C[config.json from:<br/>ProgramData → AppData → Embedded]
    C --> D[Detect Device Join State<br/>TenantInfoProvider]
    D --> E[Merge Tenant Overrides]
    E --> F[Load User Settings<br/>theme preferences]
    F --> G[Apply Theme<br/>Auto/Light/Dark/Custom]
    G --> H[Create MainWindow]
    H --> I[Load Cached Data<br/>instant display]
    I --> J[Choose Password Provider]
    J --> K{AAD Joined +<br/>ClientId?}
    K -->|Yes| L[GraphPasswordAgeProvider<br/>Graph + LDAP hybrid]
    K -->|No| M[LdapPasswordAgeProvider<br/>On-prem AD only]
    L --> N[Fetch Live Data]
    M --> N
    N --> O[Update UI]
    O --> P[Save to Cache]

    style A fill:#4a90d9,color:#fff
    style D fill:#9c27b0,color:#fff
    style L fill:#28a745,color:#fff
    style M fill:#ffc107,color:#000
    style O fill:#28a745,color:#fff

Authentication & Microsoft Graph Integration

Azure AD App Registration Setup

To enable Graph API integration for enhanced user profile and password status:

Register Application in Azure Portal > Azure Active Directory > App registrations

Configure Redirect URI: Set "Public client/native" with URI:

https://login.microsoftonline.com/common/oauth2/nativeclient

Enable Public Client: Set "Allow public client flows" to Yes
Add Permission: Microsoft Graph > Delegated > User.Read
Grant Admin Consent (recommended for seamless deployment)

Copy Client ID to config.json:

{ "auth": { "clientId": "YOUR-CLIENT-ID-HERE" } }

Authentication Flow

flowchart TD
    A[App Startup] --> B{Device Join State?}
    B -->|Not AAD Joined| C[LdapPasswordAgeProvider]
    B -->|AAD Joined| D{ClientId Configured?}
    D -->|No| C
    D -->|Yes| E[Create InteractiveBrowserCredential<br/>with WAM broker]
    E --> F{Device Type?}
    F -->|AAD-joined device| G[Silent SSO via<br/>Windows Account Manager]
    F -->|Non-joined device| H[Interactive browser<br/>sign-in]
    G --> I[GraphPasswordAgeProvider<br/>Hybrid Mode]
    H --> I
    C --> J[Query On-Prem AD<br/>via LDAP]

    style A fill:#4a90d9,color:#fff
    style I fill:#28a745,color:#fff
    style C fill:#ffc107,color:#000
    style J fill:#ffc107,color:#000

Key Files:

App.xaml.cs - Entry point, provider selection (ChoosePasswordProviderAsync)
Services/GraphLiteClient.cs - Lightweight Graph API client
Services/TenantInfoProvider.cs - Device join detection

Security Model

Aspect	Implementation
Permission Scope	`User.Read` (delegated) - minimal privilege
Token Storage	Azure.Identity handles secure caching
Authentication	Public client flow (no secrets in code)
SSO	Windows Account Manager for AAD-joined devices

Password Expiration Detection

Provider Selection Logic

Device State	Provider	Notes
Azure AD Joined + ClientId	`GraphPasswordAgeProvider`	Hybrid: Graph + LDAP fallback
Azure AD Joined, no ClientId	`LdapPasswordAgeProvider`	On-prem only
Domain Joined only	`LdapPasswordAgeProvider`	On-prem only
Not joined	None	No password detection

Hybrid Password Detection (Graph + LDAP)

For organizations using Azure AD Connect, the app performs hybrid detection:

flowchart TD
    A[Query Graph API /me] --> B[Get User Data]
    B --> C[lastPasswordChangeDateTime]
    B --> D[onPremisesSyncEnabled]
    B --> E[passwordPolicies]

    E --> F{passwordPolicies contains<br/>DisablePasswordExpiration?}
    F -->|Yes| G[neverExpires = true]
    F -->|No| H{Account synced?<br/>onPremisesSyncEnabled}

    H -->|Yes| I[Query LDAP for<br/>userAccountControl]
    H -->|No| J[Cloud-only account]

    I --> K{UAC flag 0x10000<br/>DONT_EXPIRE_PASSWORD?}
    K -->|Set| G
    K -->|Not set| L[Password expires]

    G --> M[Display: Never expires]
    L --> N{Account Type?}
    J --> N

    N -->|Synced| O[Use OnPremDays<br/>default: 360]
    N -->|Cloud-only| P[Use CloudDays<br/>default: 180]

    O --> Q[Calculate days remaining]
    P --> Q

    style A fill:#4a90d9,color:#fff
    style G fill:#28a745,color:#fff
    style M fill:#28a745,color:#fff
    style I fill:#ffc107,color:#000

Why Hybrid Detection? Azure AD's passwordPolicies often doesn't reflect the on-premises AD "Password never expires" checkbox for synced accounts. The hybrid approach ensures accurate detection by checking both sources.

Key Files:

Services/GraphPasswordAgeProvider.cs - Hybrid provider with LDAP fallback
Services/LdapPasswordAgeProvider.cs - Pure LDAP provider

LDAP UAC Flag Reference

The userAccountControl attribute contains account flags:

Flag	Value	Meaning
`DONT_EXPIRE_PASSWORD`	`0x10000` (65536)	Password never expires

// Detection code
const int DontExpire = 0x10000;
var neverExpires = (uac & DontExpire) == DontExpire;

Device Join Detection

TenantInfoProvider uses multiple detection methods with automatic fallback:

flowchart TD
    A[GetTenantContext] --> B[Try NetGetAadJoinInformation<br/>netapi32.dll]
    B -->|Success| Z[Return TenantContext]
    B -->|Failed| C[Try DsregGetJoinInfo<br/>dsreg.dll]
    C -->|Success| Z
    C -->|Failed| D[Try dsregcmd.exe /status<br/>Parse output]
    D -->|Success| Z
    D -->|Failed| E[Try Registry<br/>HKLM\...\AzureAD\TenantInformation]
    E -->|Success| Z
    E -->|Failed| F[Try Domain.GetComputerDomain<br/>System.DirectoryServices]
    F -->|Success| Y[Return DomainJoined context]
    F -->|Failed| X[Return Unknown context]

    style A fill:#4a90d9,color:#fff
    style Z fill:#28a745,color:#fff
    style Y fill:#ffc107,color:#000
    style X fill:#dc3545,color:#fff

Detection Methods (in priority order):

#	Method	API/Source	Best For
1	Native API	`NetGetAadJoinInformation` (netapi32.dll)	AAD-joined devices, fastest
2	dsreg.dll	`DsregGetJoinInfo`	Windows 10+ fallback
3	dsregcmd	Parse `/status` output	When DLLs unavailable
4	Registry	`HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\AzureAD\TenantInformation`	Persistent storage fallback
5	AD Domain	`Domain.GetComputerDomain()`	Domain-only devices

Join Types:

Type	Description
`AzureAdJoined`	Direct Azure AD join
`HybridAzureAdJoined`	Both AD and Azure AD
`DomainJoined`	On-premises AD only
`WorkplaceJoined`	BYOD scenario

Troubleshooting Command Execution

The CommandRunner service executes PowerShell commands with two execution modes:

flowchart TD
    subgraph Standard["Standard Execution (RunAsync)"]
        A1[Start PowerShell<br/>-NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass] --> A2[Redirect stdout/stderr]
        A2 --> A3[Real-time output<br/>via callback]
        A3 --> A4{Process completed?}
        A4 -->|Yes| A5[Return CommandResult]
        A4 -->|Timeout/Cancel| A6[Kill process tree]
        A6 --> A7[Return cancelled result]
    end

    subgraph Elevated["Elevated Execution (RunAsAdminAsync)"]
        B1[Start PowerShell<br/>Verb = runas] --> B2[UAC Prompt]
        B2 -->|Approved| B3[Execute command]
        B2 -->|Denied| B4[Return cancelled]
        B3 --> B5[Write output to<br/>temp file]
        B5 --> B6[Read temp file]
        B6 --> B7[Return CommandResult]
    end

    style A1 fill:#4a90d9,color:#fff
    style B1 fill:#ffc107,color:#000
    style A5 fill:#28a745,color:#fff
    style B7 fill:#28a745,color:#fff
    style B4 fill:#dc3545,color:#fff

Standard Execution (`RunAsync`)

Runs as current user (no elevation)
Real-time output streaming via onOutput callback
5-minute timeout with cancellation support
Process tree termination on cancel

Elevated Execution (`RunAsAdminAsync`)

Triggers UAC prompt (Verb = "runas")
Output captured via temp file (elevated process limitation)
Graceful handling of UAC cancellation (error code 1223)

Key File: Services/CommandRunner.cs

Log Location

%APPDATA%\InformationBox\logs\log.txt

Contains: authentication events, provider selection, LDAP queries, command execution results.

Development & Tests

Target framework: net10.0-windows (WPF).
Solution: InformationBox.sln (app) + InformationBox.Tests (xUnit).
Run tests: dotnet test InformationBox.Tests/InformationBox.Tests.csproj.
CI: .github/workflows/ci.yml (restore, build, test, coverage; Codecov upload optional via CODECOV_TOKEN secret).

Project layout

InformationBox/
├─ Assets/            # logo, icon, default config
├─ Config/            # strongly-typed config records & enums
├─ Services/          # Graph/LDAP/device helpers
├─ Themes/            # XAML theme resources
├─ UI/                # ViewModels, commands, components
├─ App.xaml           # app entry
└─ MainWindow.xaml    # main shell

License

Copyright (c) Evotec. Refer to the repository license information for details.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 70 Commits
.github/workflows		.github/workflows
Assets/Images		Assets/Images
Build		Build
InformationBox.Tests		InformationBox.Tests
InformationBox		InformationBox
.editorconfig		.editorconfig
.gitattributes		.gitattributes
.gitignore		.gitignore
InformationBox.sln		InformationBox.sln
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md

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EvotecIT/InformationBox

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Information Box – Modern IT Self-Service for Windows

Project Information

Author & Social

Contents

Highlights

Screenshots & Themes

Theme Variants

Build & Run

Deployment Flavors

Configuration Overview

Sample skeleton

Branding

Layout & Placement

Feature Flags

Links, Zones, and Local Sites

Fix Actions

Password Policy

Tenant Overrides

Technical Architecture

Application Startup Flow

Authentication & Microsoft Graph Integration

Azure AD App Registration Setup

Authentication Flow

Security Model

Password Expiration Detection

Provider Selection Logic

Hybrid Password Detection (Graph + LDAP)

LDAP UAC Flag Reference

Device Join Detection

Troubleshooting Command Execution

Standard Execution (RunAsync)

Elevated Execution (RunAsAdminAsync)

Log Location

Development & Tests

Project layout

License

About

Topics

Resources

License

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Standard Execution (`RunAsync`)

Elevated Execution (`RunAsAdminAsync`)