GetModuleFileNameW function (libloaderapi.h)
Retrieves the fully qualified path for the file that contains the specified module. The module must have been loaded by the current process.
To locate the file for a module that was loaded by another process, use the GetModuleFileNameEx function.
Syntax
DWORD GetModuleFileNameW(
[in, optional] HMODULE hModule,
[out] LPWSTR lpFilename,
[in] DWORD nSize
);
Parameters
[in, optional] hModule
A handle to the loaded module whose path is being requested. If this parameter is NULL, GetModuleFileName retrieves the path of the executable file of the current process.
The GetModuleFileName function does not retrieve the path for modules that were loaded using the LOAD_LIBRARY_AS_DATAFILE flag. For more information, see LoadLibraryEx.
[out] lpFilename
A pointer to a buffer that receives the fully qualified path of the module. If the length of the path is less than the size that the nSize parameter specifies, the function succeeds and the path is returned as a null-terminated string.
If the length of the path exceeds the size that the nSize parameter specifies, the function succeeds and the string is truncated to nSize characters including the terminating null character.
Windows XP: The string is truncated to nSize characters and is not null-terminated.
The string returned will use the same format that was specified when the module was loaded. Therefore, the path can be a long or short file name, and can use the prefix "\?". For more information, see Naming a File.
[in] nSize
The size of the lpFilename buffer, in WCHARs.
Return value
If the function succeeds, the return value is the length of the string that is copied to the buffer, in characters, not including the terminating null character. If the buffer is too small to hold the module name, the string is truncated to nSize characters including the terminating null character, the function returns nSize, and the function sets the last error to ERROR_INSUFFICIENT_BUFFER.
Windows XP: If the buffer is too small to hold the module name, the function returns nSize and the last error code is not modified. If nSize is zero, the return value is zero and the last error code is not modified.
If the function fails, the return value is 0 (zero). To get extended error information, call GetLastError.
Remarks
If a DLL is loaded in two processes, its file name in one process may differ in case from its file name in the other process.
The global variable _pgmptr is automatically initialized to the full path of the executable file, and can be used to retrieve the full path name of an executable file.
Examples
For an example, see Installing a Service.
Note
The libloaderapi.h header defines GetModuleFileName as an alias that automatically selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with code that is not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.
Requirements
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum supported client | Windows XP [desktop apps | UWP apps] |
| Minimum supported server | Windows Server 2003 [desktop apps | UWP apps] |
| Target Platform | Windows |
| Header | libloaderapi.h (include Windows.h) |
| Library | Kernel32.lib |
| DLL | Kernel32.dll |