[casual_games] Same Vista- new thread

[Joe Pantuso]

We had to be Vista compatible awhile ago, OEM requirements
from manufacturers that pre-install our client since machines are being
built now in preparation for the Jan 30 general availability date.  One
advantage we've got is that since we have a desktop client and manage our
own games list we aren't subject to the vagaries of parental controls and
the games menu. (Don't even get me started on ESRB and casual games...)
We're stuck with working with the LUA/UAC restrictions though, same as
everyone.

Most of the difficulties people will face are related to installation and
updating.  Unlike XP, even when a user is part of the 'administrator' group
applications they run are not typically running at that level of access.  If
a program needs elevated access it has to ask for it, so a self-updating app
will break.  This is the LUA part of the equation (Least-privileged User
Account), the other part is UAC (User Access Control) which is the prompt
that people get whenever an app is asking for admin access to
do something. (UAC is kind of scary looking, eventually users will become
accustomed to it and all will be well, but in the meantime I worry about
users not understanding they need to ok an update).

Anything that expects to be able to write to the LocalMachine part of the
registry will also break.

Bottom line for self-updaters is that you need to have the updating happen
in a separate executable that is marked (with a manifest in the resource
section of the PE image) as requiring admin level.  Barring that you can use
Clickonce (hacky and not an option unless you are using MS tech up to the
eyeballs) or install using the Microsoft Installer system, which isn't
backwards compatible to anything else.

Here are some links people may find useful that we turned up during our
learning curve;

LUA best practices
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnlong/html/AccProtVista.asp


http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/directx9_c/Gaming_with_Least_Privileged_User_Accounts.asp


MSI
http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2006/12/13/some-useful-things-i-have-learned-about-windows-installer-and-uac.aspx


http://blog.devinstall.com/2006/09/24/understanding-uac-in- vista
-and-windows-installer/<http://blog.devinstall.com/2006/09/24/understanding-uac-in-vista-and-windows-installer/>

The MSI Installer Object uses a COM interface for those looking to roll
their own updater around that;
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/msi/setup/installer_object.asp<http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/msi/setup/installer_object.asp>

thread about this, no satisfactory response from MS after a year;
http://forums.microsoft.com/msdn/showpost.aspx?postid=111453&siteid=1

http://wiki.helpware.net/tiki-index.php?page=VistaUAC
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