what is elevator.exe?

[tripler6]

Hi, fresh format of vista bus 32 here..

The very first thing I install is winamp - and im curious, what is "elevator.exe" in c:\program files\winamp?

this is a fresh dl straight from the front page

[tripler6]

theres also elevatorps.dll

these files (along with nscrt.dll) stick around after an uninstall.

[DJ Egg]

Elevator is required on Vista and higher (it's not installed on 2k/XP).

Basically, when User Account Control is enabled on Vista (which it is by default), programs need to be in an elevated state so that they can write to the registry or delete files in folders without write permissions etc.

In Winamp, if you go to any of:

Prefs -> File Types, and select/deselect an extension (and then go to another Prefs page or close Prefs)

Prefs -> Skins -> right-click a listed skin -> Delete

Prefs -> Winamp Pro -> Enter Registration Key...

you will be presented with the UAC "A program/action needs your permission to continue" dialog, where you click Continue/Allow or Deny.

If Elevator.exe and elevatorps.dll aren't present in the Winamp folder, then you won't get that prompt, and any such settings changes that require writing to the registry or actions that require saving/deleting files in %ProgramFiles%\Winamp won't even work.

As covered by this entry in Whatsnew:

* Improved: Vista elevation (fixes: installing skins, filetype reg, Pro reg)


And yes, someone else pointed out to us the other day that those 3 files aren't being removed by the uninstaller.
We checked the uninstaller script, and they're definitely referenced and meant to be removed, but it's likely that they can't be removed because they're in use at the time.

We'll probably put some extra kill task function in for them in the next release, or maybe even prompt the user to reboot for them to be deleted (though if the user says no to reboot, they'll still be deleted on next reboot anyway).

EDIT #1
The uninstaller issue is fixed for 5.55 (Final Release, not Public Beta)

___________________________________________

EDIT #2

Re: replies below

Hmm, I run Vista under the hidden super admin profile, where there's no UAC prompts,
and I still see Elevator.exe process in Task Mgr when I go to Prefs -> File Types/Shell Options/Winamp Pro etc.
I recommend that you keep Elevator.exe & elevatorps.dll in the %ProgramFiles%\Winamp dir.
Chances are that you won't be able to change file associations (or any other settings via the Winamp UI which require writing to the registry) without them.

Though you can workaround it by running Winamp in admin mode and/or changing the permissions for winamp.exe...

However, if you insist on manually deleting them, then you should unregister them first, as follows:

1. Close Winamp

2. Make sure Elevator.exe is not running in Task Manager

3. Command Prompt:

Type: "C:\Program Files\Winamp\Elevator.exe" /UnregServer
Hit Enter
Type: regsvr32 /U "C:\Program Files\Winamp\elevatorps.dll"
Hit Enter

4. Elevator.exe and elevatorps.dll are now safe to delete
(although I still don't recommend doing either of steps 3 & 4).

[myosisok]

I run as a user and this thing wanted me to elevate every time I ran winamp. Needless to say I found this very annoying. I found a way to turn it off by setting

"Enabled" to 0 in the registry key:

code:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Classes\CLSID\{3B29AB5C-52CB-4A36-9314-E3FEE0BA7468}\Elevation

I gave myself "full control" permissions on

C:\Program Files (x86)\Winamp

In order, hopefully, to obviate the need for it. So far, so good.

I run W2K8 x64. ymmv.

[mrubins]

ok so what if we have 0 desire to have this feature and the first thing we did after installing vista was to turn off UAC.

whats the trick to execute winamp without elevator present?

[Dynaletik]

I "solved" the problem by just removing the elevator files from my Winamp dir. I run Vista x64 but have removed the UAC, everyhting works fine because of that.

[net-cruizer]

Weird, I never had those elevator files in the Winamp folder or in task manager, and I look at them all the t,ime till I installed the new Wiamp beta.
Reverted back to original Winamp version and elevator installed. Now I have all sorts of problems, where not once have I ever had any probs with Winamp befor.

[tkosh65]

UAC is garbage, I've seen so many people having troubles with UAC do yourself a favor and turn it off. If you are security aware and run AV, firewall and spyware removers you shouild be fine.

[zackbuffo]

Are these elevator-files still relevant in Windows 7/8 or is it just a Vista-workaround?

[DrO]

is for Vista and higher. basically any Windows version where UAC is available.

[zackbuffo]

Thanx.