How to disable VirtualStore for C++ programs? - c++

Question

I'd like my program to throw an error when it tries to create files in protected locations like the root of the C:\ drive (eg: FILE* FileHandle = fopen("\\file.txt", a)). Instead the file gets created in the Virtual Store under %APPDATA%.
How can I disable that Virtual Store?
Thanks
EDIT: Just to be clear, I'm not asking how to circumvent the security and create my file in a protected location. I want the file creation to FAIL so that I can tell the user he was an idiot.

Answer 1

You add an application manifest. Choose asInvoker, highestAvailable, or requireAdministrator. It sounds like you want asInvoker.
From http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb756929.aspx:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<assembly xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" manifestVersion="1.0">
<assemblyIdentity version="1.0.0.0"
processorArchitecture="X86"
name="IsUserAdmin"
type="win32"/>
<description>Description of your application</description>
<!-- Identify the application security requirements. -->
<trustInfo xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v2">
<security>
<requestedPrivileges>
<requestedExecutionLevel
level="asInvoker"
uiAccess="false"/>
</requestedPrivileges>
</security>
</trustInfo>
</assembly>

Answer 2

From MSDN:
Virtualization is only enabled for:
32 bit interactive processes
Administrator writeable file/folder
and registry keys
Virtualization is disabled for:
64 bit processes
Non-interactive processes
Processes that impersonate
Kernel mode callers
Executables that have a requestedExecutionLevel
Your best bet, as Adam Maras noted, is to set a requestedExecutionLevel on your application by adding a manifest. A requestedExecutionLevel of "asInvoker" will cause file operations to fail on protected locations, rather than redirecting to the virtual store or prompting for elevation.

Answer 3

Here is an article that shows how to turn off the virtualization.
http://www.interworks.com/blogs/dsmith/2011/09/21/disabling-windows-7-virtual-store
The short of it is:
-From the Windows 7 Start Orb, do a search for Local Security Policy and select it.
-Expand Local Policies and click on Security Options. On the right pane, scroll all the way to the bottom and you will find a setting called " User Account Control: Virtualize file and registry write failures to per-user locations", double click on that setting and change it to Disabled.