OpenProcess function
Applies to: desktop apps only
Opens an existing local process object.
Syntax
HANDLE WINAPI OpenProcess( __in DWORD dwDesiredAccess, __in BOOL bInheritHandle, __in DWORD dwProcessId );
Parameters
- dwDesiredAccess [in]
-
The access to the process object. This access right is checked against the security descriptor for the process. This parameter can be one or more of the process access rights.
If the caller has enabled the SeDebugPrivilege privilege, the requested access is granted regardless of the contents of the security descriptor.
- bInheritHandle [in]
-
If this value is TRUE, processes created by this process will inherit the handle. Otherwise, the processes do not inherit this handle.
- dwProcessId [in]
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The identifier of the local process to be opened.
If the specified process is the System Process (0x00000000), the function fails and the last error code is ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER. If the specified process is the Idle process or one of the CSRSS processes, this function fails and the last error code is ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED because their access restrictions prevent user-level code from opening them.
Return value
If the function succeeds, the return value is an open handle to the specified process.
If the function fails, the return value is NULL. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.
Remarks
To open a handle to another local process and obtain full access rights, you must enable the SeDebugPrivilege privilege. For more information, see Changing Privileges in a Token.
The handle returned by the OpenProcess function can be used in any function that requires a handle to a process, such as the wait functions, provided the appropriate access rights were requested.
When you are finished with the handle, be sure to close it using the CloseHandle function.
Examples
For an example, see Taking a Snapshot and Viewing Processes.
Requirements
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Minimum supported client | Windows XP |
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Minimum supported server | Windows Server 2003 |
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Header |
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Library |
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DLL |
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See also
- AssignProcessToJobObject
- CloseHandle
- CreateProcess
- CreateRemoteThread
- DuplicateHandle
- GetCurrentProcess
- GetCurrentProcessId
- GetExitCodeProcess
- GetModuleFileNameEx
- GetPriorityClass
- Process and Thread Functions
- Processes
- ReadProcessMemory
- SetPriorityClass
- SetProcessWorkingSetSize
- TerminateProcess
- VirtualProtectEx
- WriteProcessMemory
Send comments about this topic to Microsoft
Build date: 3/7/2012
- 6/28/2011
- a_a
- 6/28/2011
- a_a
public static extern IntPtr OpenProcess(int dwDesiredAccess,bool bInheritHandle,int dwProcessId );
- 6/26/2011
- lv_Xue
- 12/11/2010
- jsbattig
- 9/11/2009
- DanMoseley - MSFT
As an alternative to using this unmanaged API in managed code, why not use the Systems.Diagnostics.Process class. See http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.diagnostics.process_methods.aspx for more details about this class
- 5/28/2009
- Thomas Lee
<DllImport("kernel32.dll", CharSet:=CharSet.Auto, SetLastError:=True)> _
Public Shared Function OpenProcess(ByVal access As Integer, ByVal inherit As Boolean, ByVal processId As Integer) As SafeProcessHandle
End Function
The thing is: I kill the process in Task Manager, obviously because I know the process ID. The Openprocess still return an valid HANDLE.
- 8/7/2008
- microsoftISshit
