Creating file with CreateFile function results in write protected file - c++

Question

I have been trying to write a file in path returned by SHGetFolderPath . But as File Is created, it has been given Write Protected. Following is my Code:
#include <Windows.h>
#include <Shlobj.h>
#include <iostream>
#include <Shlwapi.h>
int main()
{
HANDLE hfile;
TCHAR szPath[MAX_PATH];
char dataBuffer[] = "Some data to write here";
DWORD dwBytesWritten = 0;
if(SUCCEEDED(SHGetFolderPath(NULL,CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA,NULL,0, szPath)))
{
std::cout << szPath << std::endl;
PathAppend(szPath,TEXT("lpa"));
std::cout << szPath << std::endl;
PathAppend(szPath,TEXT("config"));
std::cout << szPath << std::endl;
CreateDirectory(szPath, NULL);
PathAppend(szPath, TEXT("lpa.config"));
std::cout << szPath << std::endl;
hfile = CreateFile(szPath,GENERIC_READ|GENERIC_WRITE,0,NULL,CREATE_NEW,FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL,NULL);
/*WriteFile(hfile,dataBuffer,(DWORD)strlen(dataBuffer),&dwBytesWritten,NULL);
std::cout << szPath <<std::endl;*/
}
}
The code creates a file in C:\ProgramData\lpa\config\lpa.config but editing the file pops up dialog saying WriteProtection. What am I doing wrong here?

Answer 1

Yes, When you run VS instance with Admin privileges, special permissions are assigned to the created file. Either run as the program as Non-Admin or use SECURITY_DESCRIPTOR so that other user can access the file.
Creating a Security Descriptor for a New Object in C++
the example in the link shows how a registry key is created, you can put CreateFile() instead.

Answer 2

I solved the issue by using CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA instead of CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA . I have the modified code given as below:
#include <Windows.h>
#include <Shlobj.h>
#include <iostream>
#include <Shlwapi.h>
int main()
{
HANDLE hfile;
TCHAR szPath[MAX_PATH];
char dataBuffer[] = "Some data to write here";
DWORD dwBytesWritten = 0;
if(SUCCEEDED(SHGetFolderPath(NULL,CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA,NULL,0, szPath)))
{
std::cout << szPath << std::endl;
PathAppend(szPath,TEXT("lpa"));
if(!CreateDirectory(szPath, NULL))
{
std::cout << "Create directory failed" <<std::endl;
}
std::cout << szPath << std::endl;
PathAppend(szPath,TEXT("config"));
if(!CreateDirectory(szPath, NULL))
{
std::cout << "Create directory failed" <<std::endl;
}
std::cout << szPath << std::endl;
PathAppend(szPath, TEXT("lpa.config"));
std::cout << szPath << std::endl;
hfile = CreateFile(szPath,GENERIC_READ|GENERIC_WRITE,FILE_SHARE_READ|FILE_SHARE_WRITE,NULL,CREATE_NEW,FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL,NULL);
WriteFile(hfile,dataBuffer,(DWORD)strlen(dataBuffer),&dwBytesWritten,NULL);
std::cout << szPath <<std::endl;
}
}