How an application can delete itself and its containing folder in C++?

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Hi,

I am creating an uninstaller which will delete some files and itself. It also needs to delete the folder in which it is placed. I am developing the uninstaller in C++ for Windows only.

I have found methods to delete folders and files but I am not able to find method which deletes the application itself and also deletes the folder that contains it.

Can anyone please guide me how can I achieve this??

Thanks

Posted 17-Apr-13 0:18am

Member 8032827

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4 solutions

Solution 3

Ok... Look here Self Deleting Exe... Many Many methods

http://www.catch22.net/tuts/self-deleting-executables[^]

Posted 17-Apr-13 0:57am

eakteam

Updated 17-Apr-13 0:59am

v2

Comments

Philippe Mori 17-Apr-13 23:19pm

Although it is possible to do self deletion if properly coded, a much better alternative is to create a real installer and Windows will handle everything properly. For consistency, it is better to always uses an installer so that program would appears in Add/Remove Programs.

iDebD 19-Apr-13 1:34am

Best solutions are described here :)

[no name] 19-Apr-13 3:38am

:)

Solution 1

create bat file named : test.bat and add in file this : "

C++

del c:\\example.exe

"
and from c++

C++

System::Diagnostics::Process::Start("c:\\test.bat");

//it wait some sec before gives error so 2nd line should be :

C++

Application::Exit();

i think it should work.. anyway u can test it...

Posted 17-Apr-13 0:32am

eakteam

Comments

Matthew Faithfull 17-Apr-13 6:40am

No I don't think that's a good way at all. What the OP needs to do is shedule the unistaller.exe and its containing folder for deletion at the next restart using the correct SetupAPI. I don't have the details sufficient to post a solution in my mind right now but that is the way professional uninstallers work.

Mohibur Rashid 19-Apr-13 0:38am

It would be a good method

Solution 4

I can't help but think for questions like these that something nefarious is planned. I agree with the others that a transactional based approach is better. Visual Studio has a WSYWIG installer project that is dead simple (for a simple application)

As I continue in my surprise, I also am surprised that the VS2008 sample code has an OpenGL project that rotates a cube.

Posted 18-Apr-13 17:20pm

Andy Bantly64K

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Orjan Westin · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-17T00:38:00

Solution 2

How did you create the uninstaller? Usually, you'd create an installer that is using the Windows Installer, and this will then handle the deletion of the installer after uninstalling.

Posted 17-Apr-13 0:38am

Orjan Westin