🚀 go-pugleaf

Vic wrote:
> I've got a service, and I want to open one app.
> this is the code :
> 
> ShellExecute(GetDesktopWindow(), "open", "calc.exe",NULL, NULL,SW_SHOW);
> 
> the problem is that when the ShellExecute is executed, a process called
> "calc.exe" is added to process list, but the app is not visible.
> How can I solve it ?

Calc is now running on another desktop.
This is because your service is running
as LocalSystem and has nothing to do
with the interactive desktop (namely
'WinSta0\Default') but is running on
his own 'service session desktop'.

Further the application is running with
the credentials of LocalSystem too.
But SYSTEM is not allowed (by the security
descriptor of the window station / desktop)
to do something an the interactive desktop.

Therefore you have at least three options:
- use RunAs service / API (newer windows)
- start the program as the logged-in user
- modify the DACLs of the winsta/desktop
Nothing of these options are trivial.

Finally there is still A LOT of work
to get it running corretly on Windows
Terminal Server (Windows XP uses TS to
implement Fast User Switsching (FUS)).

-- 
"Sure, I want to be 25 years old again with $50 billion, so
  I can party, but it ain't gonna happen." -- David J. Craig

"Vic" <victor@espainformatica.com> wrote in message
news:3e9437a8@newsgroups.borland.com...

> the problem is that when the ShellExecute is executed, a
> process called "calc.exe" is added to process list, but the
> app is not visible. How can I solve it ?

Services run under their own desktop which is separate from the visual
desktop that the user sees.  As such, when you spawn a process from a
service, the process runs under the service's desktop, not the user's.  That
is why you can't see it.

You need to use CreateProcess() instead of ShellExecute().  The STARTUPINFO
structure that you pass to CreateProcess() contains an lpDesktop field that
you can fill in with the name of the correct desktop that the process should
run under, ie:

    STARTUPINFO si = {0};
    si.lpDesktop = "WinSta0\\Default";
    ...
    CreateProcess(..., &si, ...);


Gambit