How to execute net.exe from Windows Runtime in C? - c

Question

To introduce my problem, I'm currently working on a project to remotely shut down stationary PCs via Siemens S7 PLC. Those PCs are used for an experimental manufactoring line for relays at my university. The principle is quiet simple, the PLC sends the IP of a computer via UDP to a special "always on" PC with monitoring functions on which a UDP server listens for packets (this PC starts up together with the manufactoring line; OS is Windows 10; the server is written in C). If it receives an UDP packet, it triggers a net use command followed by a shutdown command to that specific IP. This works just fine, if the server.exe is started manually. The goal is to get the server working when it's automatically started with e.g. the taskplaner. Exactly this is the main issue here, it's not working as background task. It receives the packets (I tested it) but then nothing happens, no computer shuts down. So I guessed it must be the net use or the shutdown command. At first I tried to set up the net use with a system()call:
char command[100] = { 0 };
snprintf(command, sizeof(command), "#NET USE \\\\%s\\IPC$ %s /USER:%s", ip, pw, usr);
system(command);
As this won't work I found following statement for system()on the Windows API reference page:
This API cannot be used in applications that execute in the Windows Runtime.
So I figured I had to find an alternative, which leads me to my next try with the ShellExecute() function. It seemed like there are no problems concerning the execution out of the runtime, cause I could't find any word about it at the reference page. I tried:
char programpath[100] = "C:\\Windows\\System32\\net.exe";
char cmdline[100] = { 0 };
snprintf(cmdline, sizeof(cmdline), "Use \\\\%s\\IPC$ %s /USER:%s", ip, pw, usr);
ShellExecute(NULL, "open", programpath, cmdline, NULL, SW_HIDE);
But nope, won't work either from the background. When I asked my prof about it, he said he is more into Linux, so he could only guess that there might be a problem with the permissions. He meant that my server has possibly no rights to open those two programs, when calling them as background process. But even after a long time of investigating through the internet, I can't find a proper solution which fits to my problem.