how to launch dx app using createProcess() - c++

Question

using this code snippet:
STARTUPINFO si = { sizeof(si) };
PROCESS_INFORMATION pi;
char szExe[] = "C:\\Apps\\Desktop\\Release\\simplesample.exe";
//char szExe[] = "C:\\Windows\\System32\\notepad.exe";
if(CreateProcess(0, szExe, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, &si, &pi))
{
// optionally wait for process to finish
WaitForSingleObject(pi.hThread, 0);
CloseHandle(pi.hProcess);
CloseHandle(pi.hThread);
}
return 0;
when I use notepad.exe, notepad gets launched.
However, when I use the path to simplesample.exe, it launches simplesample and crashes immediately. I fail to understand why simplesample won't launch properly from createProcess.
I can launch simplesample.exe from command prompt as is.
PS: Simplesample is a dx sample app using winmain

Answer 1

Ty to pass directory where simplesample.exe is to lpCurrentDirectory parameter of CreateProcess(). Probably, this program searches for assets, shaders or DLLs in current folder, but receives directory of calling process and thus it cannot find them.
From docs:
lpCurrentDirectory [in, optional]
The full path to the current directory for the process. The string can also specify a UNC path.
If this parameter is NULL, the new process will have the same current drive and directory as the calling process. (This feature is
provided primarily for shells that need to start an application and
specify its initial drive and working directory.)