how does this work

[dark_shadow]

hey guys i was expermenting a while ago to see if it were even possable to make a file replicate itself at run time (mainly because it doesnt seem possible) and i found a method on how to do it in vb using the following code

FileCopy App.Path + "\" + App.Title + ".exe", "C:\myapp.exe"

but i cant for the life of me undstand how it does it :/ any idea how this is possible ?

[Merri]

Files can be read from the disk at any time. Writing into active files might be locked/prevented, but reading is often possible (as reading is rarely locked).

[Andrew G]

Its better to use App.ExeName as title can be changed at runtime. Also i can't understand why it doesn't seem possible... could you explain?

[dark_shadow]

i thought it wouldnt be possible to copy it because its in use

[Andrew G]

Nah as Merri said, although it is in use, it can still be read. Its the same as opening 2 instances of the same exe. If it was in use, then the second instance would not be able to open.

[Merri]

Executables are (mostly) read (= copied) to memory.

[dark_shadow]

so that explains why if i change the app.title to app.exename as Andrew suggested and try to run the copy i get a permission denied error?

[Andrew G]

so that explains why if i change the app.title to app.exename as Andrew suggested and try to run the copy i get a permission denied error?

If you run the copy (which will be named "myapp.exe" ) it will try to copy this exe to the C drive and name it "myapp.exe", which is the same file so hence you can't copy the exe and overwrite it with itself....