mark a .exe to request (not require) run as admin

Question

Is there a way to mark a .EXE to request it be run as admin? So that:

If UAC is set to runas admin with no prompt - it runs as admin.
If user cannot runas admin (reqires different login), runs as user.
If prompts, prompts user. If accepted, runs as admin.
If prompt declined, runs as user.

I know how to do this with 2 .exe programs. But I'd like to do it with one. This program enters the user's license key. In HKLM if the app has admin rights (so all users have the key). In HKCU if no admin rights.

@HarryJohnston - I hadn't thought of that - elevating yourself. That's clever. If you enter it as an answer I'm happy to mark it as such. — David Thielen, Oct 24 '12 at 03:31

score 3 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 11:55

There is no way to mark an executable so that it will continue to run without admin privilege if the user rejects the elevation prompt. However, a process can attempt to launch a second copy of itself from the same executable with elevated privileges, and either pass the work to the new process (if it launches successfully) or continue the work itself (if not).

See this answer for an example of how to elevate yourself.

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 11 '12 at 14:28

You can get 1 and 2 by requesting highestAvailable instead of requireAdmin. I don't like it, though, because throughout the rest of the app you may need to test to see if you're elevated or not.

You can't get #4. If an app tries to launch, shows a UAC dialog, and the user rejects the UAC, the app does not launch. If you have just part of your application that needs elevation, you are best to move that part to a separate exe and put a manifest on that exe that requires elevation, then leave the main app not requiring it.

mark a .exe to request (not require) run as admin

2 Answers2