C# Remoting/COM security E_ACCESSDENIED error

[Natalia DeBow]

Hi there,

I am trying to create shortcuts to a desktop and to a Start->Programs menu
from a C# client talking to a server (using .NET Remoting) that in turn
talks to a COM object. I am running both the client and the server code on
the same machine with the client having Administrators privileges. The
server is running under IIS with ASPNET account having Users privileges
only. We do use impersonate = true in our web.config file. I am trying to
create a shortcut for an account that is created on the same machine as the
client and the server. I have also logged in at least once into this
account, so the profile for this account does indeed exist and the password
is set to never expire. This account has Users privileges only.

Here is the function that should create shortcuts, but it chokes when I am
trying to save the .lnk file to a specified folder.

More specifically the line:
hres = ppf->Save(wsz, TRUE);
returns E_ACCESSDENIED and the next line:
hres = ppf->Release();
returns S_FAIL.

The strange thing is when we are trying to created multiple shortcuts for an
app (say, app.exe), the first attempt always fails but consecutive tries
succeed.

Here is the function that creates shortcuts.
BOOL CreateShortcut(LPCSTR lpszFolderName,

LPCSTR lpszProgName,

LPCSTR lpszEXE,

LPCSTR lpszCommand,

LPCSTR lpszWorkingDirectory,

LPCSTR lpszDescription)

{
HRESULT hres;

IShellLink* psl;

char FullPath[MAX_PATH];

CoInitialize(0);

hres = CoCreateInstance(CLSID_ShellLink, 0,

CLSCTX_INPROC_SERVER, IID_IShellLink, (void**)&psl);
if (SUCCEEDED(hres))

{

IPersistFile* ppf;

hres = psl->SetPath(lpszEXE);
if (SUCCEEDED(hres))

{

hres = psl->SetArguments(lpszCommand);
if (SUCCEEDED(hres))

{

hres = psl->SetWorkingDirectory(lpszWorkingDirectory);

if (SUCCEEDED(hres))

{

hres = psl->SetDescription(lpszDescription);
if (SUCCEEDED(hres))

{

hres = psl->QueryInterface(IID_IPersistFile, (void**) &ppf);
if (SUCCEEDED(hres))

{

WORD wsz[MAX_PATH];

sprintf(FullPath,"%s\\%s.lnk", lpszFolderName, lpszProgName);

int nMbwc = MultiByteToWideChar(CP_ACP, MB_PRECOMPOSED, FullPath, -1, wsz,
MAX_PATH);

hres = ppf->Save(wsz, TRUE);

hres = ppf->Release();

}

}

}

}

}

hres = psl->Release();

}

CoUninitialize();

if FAILED(hres)

SetLastError(hres);

CONFIRM_PROCEED(SUCCEEDED(hres))

BOOL Success = BuildUnInstDB(FullPath);

CONFIRM_PROCEED(Success)

return TRUE;

}

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Natalia