Process Management APIs - Windows Documentation

Creating Processes

Functions for creating new processes and threads.

`CreateProcess`

Creates a new process and its primary thread. The new process runs in the same address space as the calling process.

BOOL CreateProcess(
  LPCSTR                lpApplicationName,
  LPSTR                 lpCommandLine,
  LPSECURITY_ATTRIBUTES lpProcessAttributes,
  LPSECURITY_ATTRIBUTES lpThreadAttributes,
  BOOL                  bInheritHandles,
  DWORD                 dwCreationFlags,
  LPVOID                lpEnvironment,
  LPCSTR                lpCurrentDirectory,
  LPSTARTUPINFOA        lpStartupInfo,
  LPPROCESS_INFORMATION lpProcessInformation
);

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Description
`lpApplicationName`	LPCSTR	The name of the module to be executed.
`lpCommandLine`	LPSTR	The command line string for the process.
`lpProcessAttributes`	LPSECURITY_ATTRIBUTES	Security attributes for the new process object.
`lpThreadAttributes`	LPSECURITY_ATTRIBUTES	Security attributes for the new thread object.
`bInheritHandles`	BOOL	If TRUE, the child process inherits copies of the handles in the calling process.
`dwCreationFlags`	DWORD	Flags that control the priority class and behavior of the new process.
`lpEnvironment`	LPVOID	A block of memory containing a new environment for the child process.
`lpCurrentDirectory`	LPCSTR	The full path of the current directory for the process.
`lpStartupInfo`	LPSTARTUPINFOA	Startup information for the new process.
`lpProcessInformation`	LPPROCESS_INFORMATION	Receives information about the new process and its primary thread.

`CreateProcessAsUser`

Creates a new process and its primary thread. The new process runs in the security context of the user specified by the lpUsername parameter.

BOOL CreateProcessAsUser(
  PSID                       lpSid,
  LPCSTR                     lpApplicationName,
  LPSTR                      lpCommandLine,
  LPSECURITY_ATTRIBUTES      lpProcessAttributes,
  LPSECURITY_ATTRIBUTES      lpThreadAttributes,
  BOOL                       bInheritHandles,
  DWORD                      dwCreationFlags,
  LPVOID                     lpEnvironment,
  LPCSTR                     lpCurrentDirectory,
  LPSTARTUPINFOA             lpStartupInfo,
  LPPROCESS_INFORMATION      lpProcessInformation
);

`CreateThread`

Creates a new thread within the address space of the calling process.

HANDLE CreateThread(
  LPSECURITY_ATTRIBUTES lpThreadAttributes,
  SIZE_T                dwStackSize,
  LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE lpStartAddress,
  LPVOID                lpParameter,
  DWORD                 dwCreationFlags,
  LPDWORD               lpThreadId
);

Terminating Processes

Functions for ending processes and threads.

`TerminateProcess`

Terminates the specified process and any threads that it created.

BOOL TerminateProcess(
  HANDLE hProcess,
  UINT   uExitCode
);

`ExitProcess`

This function is used by a process to terminate itself.

VOID ExitProcess(
  UINT uExitCode
);

Querying Process Information

Functions to retrieve details about running processes.

`GetProcessId`

Retrieves the process identifier of the specified process.

DWORD GetProcessId(
  HANDLE ProcessHandle
);

`GetProcessTimes`

Retrieves timing information for the specified process.

BOOL GetProcessTimes(
  HANDLE hProcess,
  LPFILETIME lpCreationTime,
  LPFILETIME lpExitTime,
  LPFILETIME lpKernelTime,
  LPFILETIME lpUserTime
);

`EnumProcesses`

Enumerates the process identifiers for all processes currently running on the local computer.

BOOL EnumProcesses(
  LPDWORD lpidProcess,
  DWORD   cb,
  LPDWORD lpcbNeeded
);

Process Structures

Key data structures used with process management APIs.

`PROCESS_INFORMATION`

Contains information about a newly created process and its primary thread. This structure is used by the CreateProcess function.

typedef struct _PROCESS_INFORMATION {
  HANDLE hProcess;
  HANDLE hThread;
  DWORD  dwProcessId;
  DWORD  dwThreadId;
} PROCESS_INFORMATION, *LPPROCESS_INFORMATION;

`STARTUPINFO`

Specifies the window station, standard handles, and appearance of the main window for a process at creation time.

typedef struct _STARTUPINFO {
  DWORD  cb;
  LPSTR  lpReserved;
  LPSTR  lpDesktop;
  LPSTR  lpTitle;
  DWORD  dwX;
  DWORD  dwY;
  DWORD  dwXSize;
  DWORD  dwYSize;
  DWORD  dwXCountChars;
  DWORD  dwYCountChars;
  DWORD  dwFillAttribute;
  DWORD  dwFlags;
  WORD   wShowWindow;
  WORD   cbReserved2;
  LPBYTE lpReserved2;
  HANDLE hStdInput;
  HANDLE hStdOutput;
  HANDLE hStdError;
} STARTUPINFO, *LPSTARTUPINFO;