Display file Properties > Security > Edit (permissions)

Question

I successfully implemented the solution from How does one invoke the Windows Permissions dialog programmatically? and related: How to display file properties dialog security tab from c#.

    public static bool ShowFileProperties(string Filename)
    {
        SHELLEXECUTEINFO info = new SHELLEXECUTEINFO();
        info.cbSize = System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.SizeOf(info);
        info.lpVerb = "properties";
        info.lpFile = Filename;
        info.lpParameters = "Security";
        info.nShow = SW_SHOW;
        info.fMask = SEE_MASK_INVOKEIDLIST;
        return ShellExecuteEx(ref info);
    }

However, I would like to get to the Permissions window as you would with the Edit.. button from that dialogue.

Any ideas?

Answer 1

You can click the button "Edit..." programmatically:

Edited example from here, matching to the window title seen in your Screenshot:

private void clickEdit()
{
    // Look for a top-level window/application called "SupportAssist Properties"
    var root = AutomationElement.RootElement;
    var condition1 = new PropertyCondition(AutomationElement.NameProperty, "SupportAssist Properties");

    var treeWalker = new TreeWalker(condition1);
    AutomationElement element = treeWalker.GetFirstChild(root);

    if (element == null)
    {
        // not found
        return;
    }

    // great!  window found
    var window = element;

    // now look for a button with the text "Edit..."
    var buttonElement = window.FindFirst(TreeScope.Descendants,
        new PropertyCondition(AutomationElement.NameProperty, "Edit.."));
    if (buttonElement == null)
    {
        // not found
        return;
    }

    // great! now click the button
    var invokePattern = buttonElement.GetCurrentPattern(InvokePattern.Pattern) as InvokePattern;
    invokePattern?.Invoke();
}

Important! The linked source of this code says the following:

var buttonElement = window.FindFirst(TreeScope.Children

But this does not work in the "Properties" window. It does not find "Edit..." in this level. You have to search for it one level deeper:

var buttonElement = window.FindFirst(TreeScope.Descendants