Internet Coin Mechanism, How to Prevent Killing Process

[mfacen]

I'm designing a system for internet cafes with a program that runs on the computers and interface to a coin mechanism. My problem is how to give a high priority status to the program in the task manager so it can't be closed by the user. I suceeded in disabling the task manager but I'd like the user to still be able to use it in case of one of windows ( common ) freezes. Also a hacker could just use another program to end the process.
If anyone has an idea or example on how to do it will be of much help to the project.

 

[JankoMuzyk]

Your app should be written as windows service. If you install that app on PC from Admin account, application starting automatic with windows start, and only users with Admin permissions can stops it.

 

[mfacen]

I researched that but found that would prevent the app to be killed by the task manager, but not by other programs. I have for example this nice tool called HiJackThis , very good and freeware. Well it can kill services no problem.

 

[JankoMuzyk]

I have for example this nice tool called HiJackThis , very good and freeware. Well it can kill services no problem.

Even than if you install your service from admin account, and your customers using regular user account? I think that is impossible to kill admin service from non admin account.

 

[sinatra]

In your box where the user puts coins you could disable mouse, keyboard, ethernet cable, video, etc.... If the user doesn't put the coin the mouse and the keyboard don't work and the ethernet cable is unplugged, no way to use the computer.
Making it all by hardware prevents the user from cheeting by means of software.....

S.

Ps:Windows has to many holes. You may never be able to close all of them by software.

 

[mfacen]

Yes I thought first on doing it like that, but the nice thing about the software is that I have a Admin password in my program and there you can make all the changes about different kind of coins, the time to give with each coin, have passwords for authorized users and many more things.

To Janko:
Yes , HiJackThis kills the process even from the guest account even if I register it as a service.


Now I'm working in a solution to this: the process you call to start the aplication is not the aplication itself but a little program that checks every 500 ms if the app is running. If it finds is not then it runs the app. The result: if you try to kill the app it just restarts.
Now I'm lookin for a way to hide the launcher from the process views.
Ah, ofcourse my main program is checking also every second if the launcher is running, if is not then runs the launcher.
The result is very difficult to kill, while debugging I had to restart the computer many times but once I got the timing right is working pretty good.

I know Windows is full of holes, is impossible to make it 100% secure but at least I want a hacker to earn his free internet time !!!

 

[mfacen]

How I can use the old RegisterServerProcess API call, windows XP has not such a call, any idea how to do the same thing from XP ?