Is there an API call to prompt user for UAC elevation?

Question

My app needs to write to a file in \\ProgramData that could be protected. This only happens once after installation.

Is there an API function that would take ACL inf

Answer 1

Thanks to @Remy for the ShellExecuteEx suggestion, here are the sordid details. Note the use of 'cmd' and the double-command, so the user only has to reply once. Also, [1] must wait for process completion otherwise you could find yourself creating the file before it was deleted, and [2] don't wait for the process if it failed.

// delete file with Admin privilege
// 'file_name' is path of file to be deleted
SHELLEXECUTEINFO shex;
char param[512];
char *cmd = "/C \"attrib -H \"%s\" && del /F /Q \"%s\"\""; // double command

_snprintf(param, sizeof(param), cmd, file_name, file_name);
ZeroMemory(&shex, sizeof(shex));
shex.cbSize = sizeof(shex);
shex.lpVerb = "runas";  // runas, open
shex.lpFile = "cmd";    // not 'del'
shex.lpParameters = param;
shex.nShow = SW_HIDE;
shex.fMask = SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS;
BOOL retshx = ShellExecuteEx(&shex);
// wait otherwise could return before completed
if(retshx)
{   time_t st = clock();
    DWORD exitCode;
    do
    {   if(!GetExitCodeProcess(shex.hProcess, &exitCode))
            break;
        if(clock() - st > CLOCKS_PER_SEC * 5)       // max 5 seconds
            break;
    } while(exitCode != STATUS_WAIT_0); // STILL_ACTIVE
    CloseHandle(shex.hProcess);
}