Close handle to a mutex in another process - c++

Question

I want to close a handle to a mutex located in another process, so I can run more than one instance of the application.
I already know this can be done, see Process Explorer. Example: Windows Minesweeper (Windows 7) uses a mutex to only allow one game, so I thought I would use it as an example since it's pre-installed with Windows and therefore easier for you guys to guide me.
The mutex that I need to close is \Sessions\1\BaseNamedObjects\Oberon_Minesweeper_Singleton, which I found using Process Explorer.
After closing this mutex I was able to launch two games of Minesweeper, but I want to do this in my program using C++.
After some searching I have found that I might need the API DuplicateHandle. So far I haven't been able to close the handle on this mutex.
Here is my code so far:
#include <Windows.h>
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
void printerror(LPSTR location){
printf("Error: %s_%d", location, GetLastError());
cin.get();
}
int main(){
DWORD pid = 0;
HWND hMineWnd = FindWindow("Minesweeper", "Minesveiper");
GetWindowThreadProcessId(hMineWnd, &pid);
HANDLE hProc =OpenProcess(PROCESS_DUP_HANDLE, 0, pid);
if(hProc == NULL){
printerror("1");
return 1;
}
HANDLE hMutex = OpenMutex(MUTEX_ALL_ACCESS, TRUE, "Oberon_Minesweeper_Singleton");
if(hMutex == NULL){
printerror("2");
return 2;
}
if(DuplicateHandle(hProc, hMutex, NULL, 0, 0, FALSE, DUPLICATE_CLOSE_SOURCE) == 0){
printerror("3");
return 3;
}
if(CloseHandle(hMutex) == 0){
printerror("4");
return 4;
}
return 0;
}
This code returns 0, but the mutex is still there, and I am not able to launch more games of Minesweeper. I think some of my parameters to DuplicateHandle are wrong.

Answer 1

The second argument to DuplicateHandle expects "an open object handle that is valid in the context of the source process", however I believe the handle you're passing in would only be valid within the current process (OpenMutex creates a new handle to an existing mutex object). You'll likely need to determine what the mutex's handle is in the remote process, and use that value when calling DuplicateHandle.