Request Windows Vista UAC elevation if path is protected?

For my C# app, I don't want to always prompt for elevation on application start, but if they choose an output path that is UAC protected then I need to request elevation.

So, how do I check if a path is UAC protected and then how do I request elevation mid-execution?

Solution 1:

The best way to detect if they are unable to perform an action is to attempt it and catch the UnauthorizedAccessException.

However as @DannySmurf correctly points out you can only elevate a COM object or separate process.

There is a demonstration application within the Windows SDK Cross Technology Samples called UAC Demo. This demonstration application shows a method of executing actions with an elevated process. It also demonstrates how to find out if a user is currently an administrator.

Solution 2:

Requesting elevation mid-execution requires that you either:

1. Use a COM control that's elevated, which will put up a prompt
2. Start a second process that is elevated from the start.

In .NET, there is currently no way to elevate a running process; you have to do one of the hackery things above, but all that does is give the user the appearance that the current process is being elevated.

The only way I can think of to check if a path is UAC elevated is to try to do some trivial write to it while you're in an un-elevated state, catch the exception, elevate and try again.