Auto updater WinApi

[mandruk1331]

Hello!
I'm trying to write an auto updater for my exe file, but I have face a problem when I trigger the auto update I want to remove the old version of my program by running an uninstaller, and here is the problem I can't do that because I need the AdminRights, is there a way I trigger the UAC window to prompt the users permission? or maybe there is another way of bypassing the UAC (giving addition rights for the process)?
I use the CreateProcess function and it is vital to use it only, because I will need the handle of the created process. I tried to use the ShellExecute function it worked ok, everything run nicely but I could not get the handle for the process, the WaitForSingleObject function did not want to work with the ShellExecute, therefore I switched to CreateProcess, so In advance I need a smth like ShellExecute but with CreateProcess on board.
Thank you!

[2kaud]

I need a smth like ShellExecute... I will need the handle of the created process

Have a look at ShellExecuteEx(). https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...(v=vs.85).aspx. This uses a SHELLEXECUTEINFO structure which has as one of its members a handle to the newly created process.

[mandruk1331]

Have a look at ShellExecuteEx(). https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...(v=vs.85).aspx. This uses a SHELLEXECUTEINFO structure which has as one of its members a handle to the newly created process.

Yes I have fount this function but the WaitForSingleObject function does not wait for the process to be finished which is not good.

ShellExecuteEx(&ShellInfo);
WaitForSingleObject(ShellInfo.hInstApp, INFINITE);
CloseHandle(ShellInfo.hProcess);

[2kaud]

WaitForSingleObject(ShellInfo.hInstApp, INFINITE);

hInstApp is not a true HINSTANCE but is really a return code. Try

WaitForSingleObject(ShellInfo.hProcess, INFINITE);

Note that fMask member needs to include SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS

[mandruk1331]

WaitForSingleObject(ShellInfo.hInstApp, INFINITE);

hInstApp is not a true HINSTANCE but is really a return code. Try

WaitForSingleObject(ShellInfo.hProcess, INFINITE);

Note that fMask member needs to include SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS

The problem is still present
The setup for ShellExecuteEx, and maybe this could be the issue, but from my main program I create an instance of the auto-updater with CreateProcess, and it does wait. I know that inside the auto-updater does not work because it calls uninstall and instanlty install exe, the WaitForSingleObject returns 0.

SHELLEXECUTEINFO ShellInfo = { 0 };
ShellInfo.cbSize = sizeof(SHELLEXECUTEINFOA);
ShellInfo.fMask = SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS;
ShellInfo.hwnd = NULL;
ShellInfo.lpVerb = L"runas";
ShellInfo.lpFile = L"path_to_installer.exe"; 
ShellInfo.lpParameters = L"";
ShellInfo.lpDirectory = L"path_to_installer's_folder";
ShellInfo.nShow = SW_NORMAL;

[2kaud]

See
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/...execute-to-run
https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Fo...orum=vcgeneral

[mandruk1331]

I have seen the first link, and I just copy pasted the answer code, and it still does not work

[2kaud]

This test program works as expected. The message is displayed once the supplied command (testsh.exe) has completed execution after the User Account Control message window appears.

#include <Windows.h>
#include <Shellapi.h>
#include <iostream>

int main()
{
	SHELLEXECUTEINFO ShExecInfo = { 0 };
	ShExecInfo.cbSize = sizeof(SHELLEXECUTEINFO);
	ShExecInfo.fMask = SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS;
	ShExecInfo.hwnd = NULL;
	ShExecInfo.lpVerb = "runas";
	ShExecInfo.lpFile = "testsh.exe";
	ShExecInfo.lpParameters = "";
	ShExecInfo.lpDirectory = NULL;
	ShExecInfo.nShow = SW_SHOW;
	ShExecInfo.hInstApp = NULL;
	ShellExecuteEx(&ShExecInfo);
	WaitForSingleObject(ShExecInfo.hProcess, INFINITE);

	std::cout << "after wait" << std::endl;
}

PS Tested on Windows 7

[mandruk1331]

This test program works as expected. The message is displayed once the supplied command (testsh.exe) has completed execution after the User Account Control message window appears.

#include <Windows.h>
#include <Shellapi.h>
#include <iostream>

int main()
{
	SHELLEXECUTEINFO ShExecInfo = { 0 };
	ShExecInfo.cbSize = sizeof(SHELLEXECUTEINFO);
	ShExecInfo.fMask = SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS;
	ShExecInfo.hwnd = NULL;
	ShExecInfo.lpVerb = "runas";
	ShExecInfo.lpFile = "testsh.exe";
	ShExecInfo.lpParameters = "";
	ShExecInfo.lpDirectory = NULL;
	ShExecInfo.nShow = SW_SHOW;
	ShExecInfo.hInstApp = NULL;
	ShellExecuteEx(&ShExecInfo);
	WaitForSingleObject(ShExecInfo.hProcess, INFINITE);

	std::cout << "after wait" << std::endl;
}

PS Tested on Windows 7

I have just tested the code snippet on W7 and it works good, but on Windows 10 the WaitForSingleObject is ignored

[2kaud]

Test code works OK for me on Windows 10

[mandruk1331]

Test code works OK for me on Windows 10

That's really strange, don't really know what to do

[Arjay]

That's really strange, don't really know what to do

What type of test program do you have? Is it a console app? A windows app?

[2kaud]

For my test program of post #8, this is a console prog and so is my testsh.exe that it calls.

PS Also works as expected with my Windows 7 and Windows 10 when testsh.exe is a windows program.

[mandruk1331]

What type of test program do you have? Is it a console app? A windows app?

The project type is Win32Console

[mandruk1331]

For my test program of post #8, this is a console prog and so is my testsh.exe that it calls.

PS Also works as expected with my Windows 7 and Windows 10 when testsh.exe is a windows program.

Ok, I now have an error after the WaitForSingleObject function, the GetLastError function returns 6 (ERROR_INVALID_HANDLE), but the process is creating, what can be the problem? if the handle was not good, then the process would not be created