| Platform SDK: DLLs, Processes, and Threads |
The GetCurrentProcess function retrieves a pseudo handle for the current process.
HANDLE GetCurrentProcess(VOID);
This function has no parameters.
The return value is a pseudo handle to the current process.
A pseudo handle is a special constant that is interpreted as the current process handle. The calling process can use this handle to specify its own process whenever a process handle is required. Pseudo handles are not inherited by child processes.
This handle has the maximum possible access to the process object. For systems that support security descriptors, this is the maximum access allowed by the security descriptor for the calling process. For systems that do not support security descriptors, this is PROCESS_ALL_ACCESS. For more information, see Process Security and Access Rights.
A process can create a "real" handle to itself that is valid in the context of other processes, or that can be inherited by other processes, by specifying the pseudo handle as the source handle in a call to the DuplicateHandle function. A process can also use the OpenProcess function to open a real handle to itself.
The pseudo handle need not be closed when it is no longer needed. Calling the CloseHandle function with a pseudo handle has no effect. If the pseudo handle is duplicated by DuplicateHandle, the duplicate handle must be closed.
Windows NT/2000: Requires Windows NT 3.1 or later.
Windows 95/98: Requires Windows 95 or later.
Header: Declared in Winbase.h; include Windows.h.
Library: Use Kernel32.lib.
Processes and Threads Overview, Process and Thread Functions, CloseHandle, DuplicateHandle, GetCurrentProcessId, GetCurrentThread, OpenProcess