HTML GUI for localy running app

Question

Ok, I have been searching for this a lot but I can't find what I'm looking for.

I want to use a HTML GUI for an app that is running locally on the pc, I have seen it in other apps where they use javascript and html as a front end for the user and a VC++ MFC app (I think) for the actual work.

I want to make a program where users can easily modify the GUI to match their specific needs. But I can't make it pure HTML, PHP, ASP or whatever since I need to do serial communication and some hardware access and I don't want to have tu install a webserver to run it.

I pretty new to all this but somehow I think .net has got what I need. I just don't know what to look for.

/Einar