https://www.ugmfree.it/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=856 SyMenu - General discussion & questions - Hotkey doesn't always work - Messages en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Fri, 17 Feb 2023 19:53:07 GMT Fri, 17 Feb 2023 19:53:07 GMT https://www.ugmfree.it/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=856 Fri, 17 Feb 2023 19:53:07 GMT https://www.ugmfree.it/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=856
So it turns out a lot of my running software is running elevated but I do not know why. Maybe it's because I have an Autohotkey script that runs several programs that I always want open at startup? I just checked and for instance if I kill Thunderbird and run it manually than it's not elevated. I have never given this any thought before.]]> Fri, 17 Feb 2023 19:06:19 GMT https://www.ugmfree.it/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=856 Fri, 17 Feb 2023 17:51:43 GMT https://www.ugmfree.it/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=856
I will try to list everything that comes to my mind:

• you can run a program through a shortcut and a Windows shortcut can have a flag that tells Windows to execute in elevated mode;
• if you check whatever program settings you will find a checkbox with the same behaviour of the shortcut one. It's called "Run this program as an administrator";
• a program can have this information written on its manifest. Reading the manifest Windows understands the program needs and asks the user to grant the elevation through UAC. The reason can be the program needs to control your system/FS/HD in a way that is impossible if executed with normal privileges
• a program can be launched by an elevated launcher (we already talked about this one).

I think that's all.]]> Fri, 17 Feb 2023 17:50:53 GMT https://www.ugmfree.it/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=856 Fri, 17 Feb 2023 16:23:34 GMT https://www.ugmfree.it/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=856 https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/identity/ad-ds/plan/security-best-practices/implementing-least-privilege-administrative-models]]> Fri, 17 Feb 2023 07:10:06 GMT https://www.ugmfree.it/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=856 Thu, 16 Feb 2023 17:17:52 GMT https://www.ugmfree.it/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=856 I advise you to follow the Microsoft recommendation and work with a user with no privileges.]]> Wed, 15 Feb 2023 08:51:12 GMT https://www.ugmfree.it/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=856 Tue, 14 Feb 2023 23:14:53 GMT https://www.ugmfree.it/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=856 If PSMenu is successfully notified of a keyboard event even when a higher privileged app is active, it means it is not using a hook but a shortcut.


The differences among the two systems are simple.

The shortcut way is considered safer by Windows and for this reason can overcome the applications privilege hierarchy. But the reason it is considered safer it's because you can register only some keys and modifiers. For example you can't register CTRL+C or CTRL+V because it goes against the OS shortcuts Copy and Paste. An application will be refused to register a globally already taken shortcut so imagine what could happen on a portable application like SyMenu... in a PC your shortcut works in another not. A mess.


The hook way is considered less safe because you can use it to create a keyboard hooker and use it to register the user data. For this reason Windows limits this kind of tech. The Windows hook system is powerful and flexible because you can register any kind of keyboard combination and then bubble it to the next subscriber (or not, it's your choice). To be clear if you want you can open the SyMenu contextual menu with a CTRL+V. SyMenu opens, but, since I decided to stop the propagation and the focus is grabbed by SyMenu, you completely lose the ability to paste your text or files. But it's my decision not an hook system limit.


Anyway I have a workaround for your little issue: start SyMenu in elevated mode. There is a second executable file (SyMenu.Admin.exe) you can use for this purpose or you can set it in a shortcut to the SyMenu.exe. This way SyMenu can register his hooks on the higher possible level and will always work.]]> Fri, 10 Feb 2023 08:43:15 GMT https://www.ugmfree.it/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=856 Thu, 09 Feb 2023 19:35:03 GMT https://www.ugmfree.it/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=856
It's normal Windows behavior with hotkeys management.
If SyMenu is running with normal privileges and the program in the foreground is running in elevated mode Windows prevents the less privileged program from getting the pressed keys for security purposes.

Is it possible you are executing Thunderbird in admin mode? Otherwise the reason should be different and we have to investigate.

When you have an issue possibly tied with your system like this one, you should mention your Windows version, your .NET Framework version and your SyMenu version to ease the resolution.]]> Wed, 01 Feb 2023 15:45:37 GMT https://www.ugmfree.it/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=856 Wed, 01 Feb 2023 14:34:02 GMT