Why are admin privileges necessary when building on Win11?

[mu88]

Hi,

First of all, a huge thank you for your amazing work!

I migrated my little project to use .NET 8 yesterday and I stumbled over the fact that I cannot build it locally on my Win11 device without admin privileges. Calling electronize build /target win without those privileges results in the following error:

errorOut=ERROR: Cannot create symbolic link : A required privilege is not held by the client

To be honest, I didn't follow the latest progress in the Electron.NET world (shame on me), but I cannot remember that these privileges were necessary some years ago when I created this project 🤔

This is the complete output:

Build Electron Application...
Arguments: 
	target = win
Build ASP.NET Core App for win-x64...
Executing dotnet publish in this directory: C:\Users\MyUser\Documents\Development\GitHub\BlazorFotoManager\FotoManager\obj\desktop\win
Build ASP.NET Core App for win-x64 under Release-Configuration...
dotnet publish -r win-x64 -c "Release" --output "C:\Users\MyUser\Documents\Development\GitHub\BlazorFotoManager\FotoManager\obj\desktop\win\bin" /p:PublishReadyToRun=true /p:PublishSingleFile=true --self-contained
dotnet publish -r win-x64 -c "Release" --output "C:\Users\MyUser\Documents\Development\GitHub\BlazorFotoManager\FotoManager\obj\desktop\win\bin" /p:PublishReadyToRun=true /p:PublishSingleFile=true --self-contained
MSBuild version 17.8.3+195e7f5a3 for .NET
  Determining projects to restore...
  All projects are up-to-date for restore.
  FotoManagerLogic -> C:\Users\MyUser\Documents\Development\GitHub\BlazorFotoManager\FotoManagerLogic\bin\Release\net8.0\FotoManagerLogic.dll
  FotoManager -> C:\Users\MyUser\Documents\Development\GitHub\BlazorFotoManager\FotoManager\bin\Release\net8.0\win-x64\FotoManager.dll
  FotoManager -> C:\Users\MyUser\Documents\Development\GitHub\BlazorFotoManager\FotoManager\obj\desktop\win\bin\


Start npm install...
npm install --production
npm WARN config production Use `--omit=dev` instead.

added 50 packages, and audited 51 packages in 7s

found 0 vulnerabilities


ElectronHostHook handling started...
Build Electron Desktop Application...
Executing electron magic in this directory: C:\Users\MyUser\Documents\Development\GitHub\BlazorFotoManager\FotoManager\bin\desktop
Create electron-builder configuration file...
node build-helper.js electron.manifest.json


Package Electron App for Platform win...
npx electron-builder --config=./bin/electron-builder.json --win --x64 -c.electronVersion=23.2.0 
  • electron-builder  version=24.9.1 os=10.0.22621
  • loaded configuration  file=C:\Users\MyUser\Documents\Development\GitHub\BlazorFotoManager\FotoManager\obj\desktop\win\bin\electron-builder.json
  • description is missed in the package.json  appPackageFile=C:\Users\MyUser\Documents\Development\GitHub\BlazorFotoManager\FotoManager\obj\desktop\win\package.json
  • packaging       platform=win32 arch=x64 electron=23.2.0 appOutDir=C:\Users\MyUser\Documents\Development\GitHub\BlazorFotoManager\FotoManager\bin\Desktop\win-unpacked
  • downloading     url=https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder-binaries/releases/download/winCodeSign-2.6.0/winCodeSign-2.6.0.7z size=5.6 MB parts=1
  • downloaded      url=https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder-binaries/releases/download/winCodeSign-2.6.0/winCodeSign-2.6.0.7z duration=1.437s
  ⨯ cannot execute  cause=exit status 2
                    out=
    7-Zip (a) 21.07 (x64) : Copyright (c) 1999-2021 Igor Pavlov : 2021-12-26
    
    Scanning the drive for archives:
    1 file, 5635384 bytes (5504 KiB)
    
    Extracting archive: C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign\438762831.7z
    --
    Path = C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign\438762831.7z
    Type = 7z
    Physical Size = 5635384
    Headers Size = 1492
    Method = LZMA2:24m LZMA:20 BCJ2
    Solid = +
    Blocks = 2
    
    
    Sub items Errors: 2
    
    Archives with Errors: 1
    
    Sub items Errors: 2
    
                    errorOut=ERROR: Cannot create symbolic link : A required privilege is not held by the client. : C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign\438762831\darwin\10.12\lib\libcrypto.dylib
    ERROR: Cannot create symbolic link : A required privilege is not held by the client. : C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign\438762831\darwin\10.12\lib\libssl.dylib
    
                    command='C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\npm-cache\_npx\009083ec26dc578f\node_modules\7zip-bin\win\x64\7za.exe' x -bd 'C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign\438762831.7z' '-oC:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign\438762831'
                    workingDir=C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign
  • Above command failed, retrying 3 more times
  • downloading     url=https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder-binaries/releases/download/winCodeSign-2.6.0/winCodeSign-2.6.0.7z size=5.6 MB parts=1
  • downloaded      url=https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder-binaries/releases/download/winCodeSign-2.6.0/winCodeSign-2.6.0.7z duration=1.219s
  ⨯ cannot execute  cause=exit status 2
                    out=
    7-Zip (a) 21.07 (x64) : Copyright (c) 1999-2021 Igor Pavlov : 2021-12-26
    
    Scanning the drive for archives:
    1 file, 5635384 bytes (5504 KiB)
    
    Extracting archive: C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign\073176111.7z
    --
    Path = C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign\073176111.7z
    Type = 7z
    Physical Size = 5635384
    Headers Size = 1492
    Method = LZMA2:24m LZMA:20 BCJ2
    Solid = +
    Blocks = 2
    
    
    Sub items Errors: 2
    
    Archives with Errors: 1
    
    Sub items Errors: 2
    
                    errorOut=ERROR: Cannot create symbolic link : A required privilege is not held by the client. : C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign\073176111\darwin\10.12\lib\libcrypto.dylib
    ERROR: Cannot create symbolic link : A required privilege is not held by the client. : C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign\073176111\darwin\10.12\lib\libssl.dylib
    
                    command='C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\npm-cache\_npx\009083ec26dc578f\node_modules\7zip-bin\win\x64\7za.exe' x -bd 'C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign\073176111.7z' '-oC:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign\073176111'
                    workingDir=C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign
  • Above command failed, retrying 2 more times
  • downloading     url=https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder-binaries/releases/download/winCodeSign-2.6.0/winCodeSign-2.6.0.7z size=5.6 MB parts=1
  • downloaded      url=https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder-binaries/releases/download/winCodeSign-2.6.0/winCodeSign-2.6.0.7z duration=1.208s
  ⨯ cannot execute  cause=exit status 2
                    out=
    7-Zip (a) 21.07 (x64) : Copyright (c) 1999-2021 Igor Pavlov : 2021-12-26
    
    Scanning the drive for archives:
    1 file, 5635384 bytes (5504 KiB)
    
    Extracting archive: C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign\378639987.7z
    --
    Path = C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign\378639987.7z
    Type = 7z
    Physical Size = 5635384
    Headers Size = 1492
    Method = LZMA2:24m LZMA:20 BCJ2
    Solid = +
    Blocks = 2
    
    
    Sub items Errors: 2
    
    Archives with Errors: 1
    
    Sub items Errors: 2
    
                    errorOut=ERROR: Cannot create symbolic link : A required privilege is not held by the client. : C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign\378639987\darwin\10.12\lib\libcrypto.dylib
    ERROR: Cannot create symbolic link : A required privilege is not held by the client. : C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign\378639987\darwin\10.12\lib\libssl.dylib
    
                    command='C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\npm-cache\_npx\009083ec26dc578f\node_modules\7zip-bin\win\x64\7za.exe' x -bd 'C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign\378639987.7z' '-oC:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign\378639987'
                    workingDir=C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign
  • Above command failed, retrying 1 more times
  • downloading     url=https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder-binaries/releases/download/winCodeSign-2.6.0/winCodeSign-2.6.0.7z size=5.6 MB parts=1
  • downloaded      url=https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder-binaries/releases/download/winCodeSign-2.6.0/winCodeSign-2.6.0.7z duration=915ms
  ⨯ cannot execute  cause=exit status 2
                    out=
    7-Zip (a) 21.07 (x64) : Copyright (c) 1999-2021 Igor Pavlov : 2021-12-26
    
    Scanning the drive for archives:
    1 file, 5635384 bytes (5504 KiB)
    
    Extracting archive: C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign\738743695.7z
    --
    Path = C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign\738743695.7z
    Type = 7z
    Physical Size = 5635384
    Headers Size = 1492
    Method = LZMA2:24m LZMA:20 BCJ2
    Solid = +
    Blocks = 2
    
    
    Sub items Errors: 2
    
    Archives with Errors: 1
    
    Sub items Errors: 2
    
                    errorOut=ERROR: Cannot create symbolic link : A required privilege is not held by the client. : C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign\738743695\darwin\10.12\lib\libcrypto.dylib
    ERROR: Cannot create symbolic link : A required privilege is not held by the client. : C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign\738743695\darwin\10.12\lib\libssl.dylib
    
                    command='C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\npm-cache\_npx\009083ec26dc578f\node_modules\7zip-bin\win\x64\7za.exe' x -bd 'C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign\738743695.7z' '-oC:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign\738743695'
                    workingDir=C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\electron-builder\Cache\winCodeSign
  • Above command failed, retrying 0 more times


... done

[Beyondo]

Same issue.

[Beyondo]

I moved my project's directory to another path and now it no longer requires me to open VS Code with admin permissions.

Opening VS Code with admin permissions while seemingly simple, is super annoying when you are working on multiple projects in parallel and need multiple instances, not a single one.

[darshitshah8]

not worked for me

[mu88]

same here 🤨

[darshitshah8]

Just enable developer mode in settings , it will work

[mu88]

My problem is bound to the shell and not VS Code