Managed application on secure desktop under Windows 7

Question

I'm searching for the possibility to show an application on a secure desktop under Windows 7. For explanation: The secure desktop is provided by Windows to avoid external applications to interact with this your application. It should be available to every application, as far as I know. Commonly known examples are the UAC, the service user interaction desktop or the CardSpace-Application (integrated into Windows). Actually it does not mean that every application on the secure desktop is automatically elevated ( as mentioned here ).

It do not want to show the UAC dialog together with my application, but only my application. It is a managed one, and I don't want to code any native code.

Is this possible?

Thanks in advance! Greetings, relexx

Answer 1

You can emulate the "Secure Desktop" by calling CreateDesktop Win32 API, and you also can do this from C#, but I must warn you this is not for faint-hearted. A lot of perils awaits you on your way and it is not certain that you reach the desired destination successfully.

This link explains a bit how CreateDesktop works CreateDesktop() with vista and UAC on (C, windows) , and this one shows how to call it from C# PInvoke CreateDesktop .

You can also get some more information by googling CreateDesktop.

Good luck!