使用“ CreateProcessAsUser” API创建的新流程是创建流程的子流程

Question

I have a windows service (process - x) launching another GUI application (MVVM) (process - y) but process y is a child of process x. Even though these processes run as different user accounts for some reason the log file that is being created for process y is being created at a location that is valid for process x. %USERPROFILE% environment variable is being used in the path to the log file. So, for process x which is running as "LocalSystem" account the environment variable is being evaluated to C:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\config\\systemprofile. For process y which is running as a current logged-in windows user the environment variable is being evaluated to process x's value instead of C:\\Users[loginID]. This is because process y is a child of process x. So, I need to know how to break that parent-child relationship.

I use CreateProcessAsUser API to create process y from process x.

        // flags that specify the priority and creation method of the process
        int dwCreationFlags = NORMAL_PRIORITY_CLASS | CREATE_NEW_CONSOLE;

        // create a new process in the current user's logon session
        bool result = CreateProcessAsUser(usertoken,                                                        // client's access token
                                        null,                                                        // file to execute
                                        String.Format("{0} {1}", applicationName,  arguments),                     // command line
                                        ref sa,                                                                 // pointer to process SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES
                                        ref sa,                                                                 // pointer to thread SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES
                                        false,                                                                  // handles are not inheritable
                                        dwCreationFlags,                                                        // creation flags
                                        IntPtr.Zero,                                                            // pointer to new environment block 
                                        workingDirectory,                                                         // name of current directory 
                                        ref si,                                                                 // pointer to STARTUPINFO structure
                                        out procInfo                                                            // receives information about new process
                                        );

Please let me know how to remove the parent-child relationship.

Answer 1

The problem is that CreateProcessAsUser only runs the process with the given user's credentials (security context), but not with any profile information.

The MSDN page http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms682429(v=vs.85).aspx suggests loading the profile and environment block using LoadUserProfile and CreateEnvironmentBlock .