C# Signature:

[DllImport("advapi32.dll", SetLastError=true, CharSet=CharSet.Auto)]
static extern bool CreateProcessAsUser(
    IntPtr hToken,
    string lpApplicationName,
    string lpCommandLine,
    ref SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES lpProcessAttributes,
    ref SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES lpThreadAttributes,
    bool bInheritHandles,
    uint dwCreationFlags,
    IntPtr lpEnvironment,
    string lpCurrentDirectory,
    ref STARTUPINFO lpStartupInfo,
    out PROCESS_INFORMATION lpProcessInformation);     

VB Signature :

Private Declare Auto Function CreateProcessAsUser Lib "advapi32" ( _
    ByVal hToken As IntPtr, _
    ByVal strApplicationName As String, _
    ByVal strCommandLine As String, _
    ByRef lpProcessAttributes as SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES, _
    ByRef lpThreadAttributes as SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES, _
    ByVal bInheritHandles as Boolean, _
    ByVal dwCreationFlags As Integer, _
    ByVal lpEnvironment As IntPtr, _
    ByVal lpCurrentDriectory As String, _
    ByRef lpStartupInfo As STARTUPINFO, _
    ByRef lpProcessInformation As PROCESS_INFORMATION) As Boolean

VB Signature:

<DllImport("Advapi32.dll", ExactSpelling:=False, SetLastError:=True, CharSet:=CharSet.Unicode)> _
Private Shared Function CreateProcessAsUser( _
                           ByVal hToken As IntPtr, _
                           ByVal lpApplicationName As String, _
                           <[In](), Out(), [Optional]()> ByVal lpCommandLine As StringBuilder, _
                           ByVal lpProcessAttributes As IntPtr, _
                           ByVal lpThreadAttributes As IntPtr, _
                           <MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)> ByVal bInheritHandles As Boolean, _
                           ByVal dwCreationFlags As Integer, _
                           ByVal lpEnvironment As IntPtr, _
                           ByVal lpCurrentDirectory As String, _
                           <[In]()> ByRef lpStartupInfo As StartupInfo, _
                           <Out()> ByRef lpProcessInformation As ProcessInformation) As <MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)> Boolean
End Function

User-Defined Types:

SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES

PROCESS_INFORMATION

STARTUPINFO

LOGON_TYPE

LOGON_PROVIDER

CREATE_PROCESS_FLAGS

Notes:

Use StringBuilder for lpCommandLine parameter for unicode version of this function.

The Unicode version of this function, CreateProcessAsUserW, can modify the contents of this string. Therefore, this parameter cannot be a pointer to read-only memory (such as a const variable or a literal string). If this parameter is a constant string, the function may cause an access violation.

Tips & Tricks:

Please add some!

C# Sample Code:

// Declare variables
PROCESS_INFORMATION pi;
STARTUPINFO si;
System.IntPtr hToken;

// Initialize structs
si.cb = Marshal.SizeOf(si);

// Get the user token
if (LogonUser(userPart, domainPart, password, LOGON_TYPE.LOGON32_LOGON_BATCH, LOGON_PROVIDER.LOGON32_PROVIDER_DEFAULT, hToken))
{
     // Create structs
     SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES saProcessAttributes = new SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES();
     SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES saThreadAttributes = new SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES();    

     // Now create the process as the user
     if (!CreateProcessAsUser(hToken, String.Empty, commandLine,
     null, saThreadAttributes, false, 0, IntPtr.Zero, 0, si, pi))
     {
     // Throw exception
     throw new Exception("Failed to CreateProcessAsUser");
     }
}

VB Sample Code:

Dim pi As PROCESS_INFORMATION
Dim si As STARTUPINFO
si.cb = Marshal.SizeOf(si)
Dim hToken as System.IntPtr
If LogonUser(userPart, domainPart, password, LOGON_TYPE.LOGON32_LOGON_BATCH, _
          LOGON_PROVIDER.LOGON32_PROVIDER_DEFAULT, hToken) Then

     Dim saProcessAttributes as SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES = new SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES
     Dim saThreadAttributes as SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES = new SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES  
     If Not CreateProcessAsUser(hToken, "", strCmdLine, Nothing, _
     saThreadAttributes, False, 0, IntPtr.Zero, 0, si, pi) Then

     Throw New Exception(Err.Description)
     End If
End If

Alternative Managed API:

Do you know one? Please contribute it!

Please edit this page!

Do you have...

• helpful tips or sample code to share for using this API in managed code?
• corrections to the existing content?
• variations of the signature you want to share?
• additional languages you want to include?

Select "Edit This Page" on the right hand toolbar and edit it! Or add new pages containing supporting types needed for this API (structures, delegates, and more).