Issue with applications started by the installer and UAC

palexander · Post by **palexander** » Wed Feb 03, 2010 5:35 pm

Hi All, (InstallAware 9 Moya.sp1.070409)
I am having a problem with our application (.NET 2.0) if it is started automatically at the end of the install and the system has UAC enabled. If UAC is disabled on the system then there is not problem. If you stop our application and restart it manually then the problem goes away.

The application uses the WM_COPY_DATA for inter-process communication with another application or applications that already exists on the system. If our application is started by the installer i.e 'Run Application Now', then the data sent by the existing application is not being received by our application. Our application is receiving the normal windows messages, just not the messages from the other application.

I have tried the following without success:-
1. UAC: Requested Elevation Level, on all 3 settings
2. Starting the application with 'Run Program As' and selecting 'Run under limited user account when UAC is enabled and setup is elevated.
3. Starting our application via a second application

I seems to be the UAC context of the installer is being inherited when the application starting and is preventing existing applications from interacting with it??

Any thoughts or suggestion appreciated.

Cheers
Phil

ALive · Post by **ALive** » Thu Feb 04, 2010 4:46 am

Hi, Alexander!

For my applications i'm not using 'Run under limited user account when UAC is enabled and setup is elevated' checkbox inside Run Program As. And that works for me.
Requested Elevation Level is set to 'Elevate Administrators Only (highestAvailable)'

Try to use this combination.

Hope this helps!

palexander · Post by **palexander** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 12:53 am

Hi All,

A bit more information.
The checkbox 'Run under limited user account when UAC is enabled and setup is elevated' does appear to de-elevate the application. However the application is de-elevated to low so it can not access its web services any more. Ironically the WM_COPY_DATA for inter-process communication does work.

So a nice C# etc example of how to start an application in the UAC context of the logged in user would appreciated.

Cheers
Phil

MichaelNesmith · Post by **MichaelNesmith** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 7:22 am

When you de-elevate, you are running in the context of the logged-in user.

Something else might be the problem here.