How Can I Elevate Privileges on Demand for Windows Applications Without Running Them Permanently as Administrator?

Windows UAC: On-Demand Privilege Elevation

Numerous Windows applications might need administrative rights intermittently, yet constantly running them as administrator is often impractical and insecure. The ideal solution is to elevate privileges only when absolutely necessary.

The Solution: Launching a Separate Elevated Process

Directly elevating the privileges of the currently running process isn't feasible. The correct approach involves creating a separate process with elevated privileges to handle the task requiring administrative access.

This elevated process can be initiated using command-line arguments. When a user triggers the privileged action (e.g., by clicking a button), pass the required arguments to the new process, specifying the exact action to be performed. The elevated process executes the action and then cleanly terminates.

Improving User Experience

To make this process as seamless as possible for the user:

• Make the elevated process's main window a child window of the parent application's window. This keeps it visually integrated.
• Hide the elevated process's user interface (UI) and run it silently in the background. This prevents unnecessary visual clutter.

Further Reading:

For a deeper understanding of User Account Control (UAC) implementation in Windows Vista and beyond, consult this detailed resource: Understanding UAC in Windows.

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