BUG: ReplaceFile() Requires WRITE_DAC Access on Replacement File (274487)

RESOLUTION

To work around this problem, an application can implement its own "Replace File" routine and not specify WRITE_DAC access when it opens the replacement file. Following is sample code to demonstrate this approach.

Sample Code

The following sample code implements a simple replace file function that does not require WRITE_DAC access to the replacement file. Note that this routine does not have all the features of the Windows 2000 ReplaceFile function. That is, this routine does not preserve the following attributes of the original file:

• Short file name
• Object identifier
• DACLs
• Encryption
• Compression
• Named streams not already in the replacement file

BOOL SimpleReplaceFile(LPTSTR szReplaced, LPTSTR szReplacement) {

   HANDLE hReplaced = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
   BOOL   fSuccess  = FALSE;

   WIN32_FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DATA fad;

   __try {

      // Validate parameters.
      if (szReplaced == NULL || szReplacement == NULL) {
         SetLastError(ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER);
         __leave;
      }

      // Retrieve attributes from the file to be replaced.
      if (!GetFileAttributesEx(szReplaced, GetFileExInfoStandard, &fad))
         __leave;

      // Delete the file that is being replaced.
      if (!DeleteFile(szReplaced))
         __leave;

      // Rename the replacement file.
      if (!MoveFile(szReplacement, szReplaced))
         __leave;

      // This is enough to report success.
      fSuccess = TRUE;

      // Try to preserve the following attributes from the original file:
      fad.dwFileAttributes &= FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ARCHIVE 
            | FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN | FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL
            | FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NOT_CONTENT_INDEXED
            | FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY | FILE_ATTRIBUTE_SYSTEM
            | FILE_ATTRIBUTE_TEMPORARY;
      if (!SetFileAttributes(szReplaced, fad.dwFileAttributes))
         __leave;

      // Try to set the creation time to match the original file.
      hReplaced = CreateFile(szReplaced, 0, FILE_SHARE_READ 
            | FILE_SHARE_WRITE | FILE_SHARE_DELETE,
            NULL, OPEN_EXISTING, 0, NULL);
      if (hReplaced == NULL)
         __leave;

      if (!SetFileTime(hReplaced, &(fad.ftCreationTime), NULL, NULL))
         __leave;
   
   } __finally {

     if (hReplaced != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
         CloseHandle(hReplaced);
   }

   return fSuccess;
}