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GetThreadDesktop info  Overview  Group

The GetThreadDesktop function returns a handle to the desktop associated with a specified thread.

HDESK GetThreadDesktop(

    DWORD dwThreadId 

// thread identifier

   );

Parameters

dwThreadId
Identifies the thread for which to return the desktop handle. The GetCurrentThreadId and CreateProcess functions return thread identifiers.

Return Values

If the function succeeds, the return value is the handle of the desktop associated with the specified thread. Remarks

The system associates a desktop with a thread when that thread is created. A thread can use the SetThreadDesktop function to change its desktop. The desktop associated with a thread must be on the window station associated with the thread’s process.

The calling process can use the returned handle in calls to the GetUserObjectInformation, GetUserObjectSecurity, SetUserObjectInformation, and SetUserObjectSecurity functions.

Windows 95: Windows 95 does not support multiple desktops, so GetThreadDesktop always returns the same value.

Windows NT version 3.51: A Windows NT service does not have an associated window station or desktop until the service calls a USER or GDI function that interacts with the desktop. If a service calls GetThreadDesktop before it has an associated desktop, the return value is NULL. After a service interacts with the desktop, the return value is a valid desktop handle.

Windows NT version 4.0: A Windows NT service is created with an associated window station and desktop, so there is no need to call a USER or GDI function to connect the service to a window station and desktop.

See Also

GetCurrentThreadId, GetProcessWindowStation, GetUserObjectInformation, GetUserObjectSecurity, SetProcessWindowStation, SetThreadDesktop, SetUserObjectInformation, SetUserObjectSecurity