Hi all,I have a search algorithm that tries to resolve the location of a directory on a local drive. The directory obviously will need to access other directories present on the system if it is searching for a sub directory of one of those. However in doing this I keep getting the UnauthorizedAccessException. I would like to provide the search mechanism the access privileges of the active user when it is run, how can I achieve this. Thank you.
Update: I'm working with C# on this.
In most cases, the correct answer is that you shouldn't.
Your algorithm should catch the UnauthorizedAccessException, accept that it won't be allowed to navigate further down that folder, and act like the folder is empty.
That means that sometimes you will get an answer that a directory you are looking for doesn't exist when it technically does exist. That's OK. It's the way it's supposed to be. If you don't have permission to it, it doesn't exist for you.
Folders protected under some other users' rights are "private". A program that "Joe" runs is not supposed to look at the folders that belong to "Mary". That's the whole point of permissions.
There are very few controlled exceptions to the rule. Notoriously, Disk Backup and Anti-virus applications need to be able to navigate the entire disk, regardless of folder permissions. They do so by setting up a service that runs under a highly privileged account (maybe "SYSTEM", maybe something else). It will likely be an account that holds the SeBackupPrivilege.
You can do that for your program, if you really need to scan the whole disk, but for most application scenarios you really shouldn't. Only a machine-wide maintenance application like an anti-virus or backup program should be given that kind of authority.
It's not that it's "overkill"; it's that it's "wrong". It does not play by the rules.