Application Manifest Files

An Application Manifest will identify an application to Windows Vista and allow administrators to define the application's desired security credentials. The manifest informs Windows Vista when an application is User Account Control-compliant and when to prompt users for administrator authorization to elevate privileges.

If you don't provide a manifest, your application will run with the same privileges as the user who started the application. If your application must run with administrator privileges you can change the requestedExecutionLevel (in the sample manifest below) from asInvoker (the default) to requireAdministrator. When your application starts, Vista will prompt the user to confirm that the application execution level should be elevated to administrator.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<assembly xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" manifestVersion="1.0">
  <assemblyIdentity version="1.0.0.0" processorArchitecture="X86" name="test.exe" type="win32" />
  <description>test</description>
  <dependency>
    <dependentAssembly>
      <assemblyIdentity
        type="win32"
        name="Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls"
        version="6.0.0.0"
        processorArchitecture="X86"
        publicKeyToken="6595b64144ccf1df"
        language="*" />
    </dependentAssembly>
  </dependency>
  <trustInfo xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v2">
    <security>
      <requestedPrivileges>
        <requestedExecutionLevel level="asInvoker" uiAccess="false"/>
      </requestedPrivileges>
    </security>
  </trustInfo>
</assembly>