Datafiles on Vista

[NewsArchive]

Hi Friedrich,

Hope you don't mind me posting this here!

I figured that I needed a refresher about where to place datafiles on vista
as it's been a while since I had to deal with it. So instead of digging
through the same stuff and forget it yet again, I decided to write up a blog
entry about it. You can find it at
http://www.icetips.com/blog/index.php/2008/10/31/title

I would appreciate comments and information if I got something wrong or if
additional information is needed. I spent considerable time yesterday
digging through MSDN articles and MS documents to try to make sure that
everything is accurate, but I may easily have overlooked something.

Best regards,

--
Arnór Baldvinsson - Icetips Creative, Inc.
Port Angeles, Washington
www.icetips.com - www.buildautomator.com

Icetips product subscriptions at http://www.icetips.com/subscribe.php

[NewsArchive]

> Hi Friedrich,
>
> Hope you don't mind me posting this here!
>

Arnór,

Thanks for taking the time for this excellent resource! Hopefully, some of
our experts will add additional comments to this Vista data files location
resource, and make it even more valuable -

you've managed to secure in a single location what I'm sure would be useful
to a much LARGER market - developers in general - so I'd suggest minimally
re-editing it, and at least with a signature pointing to your more general
developer tool -

Build Automator - as I am sure, once word gets out about this useful blog -
you should see a few more purchases because it was mentioned in the same
blog entry!

Product Description - Build Automator, MFG - Icetips Creative
Internet Link - http://www.buildautomator.com/

David

--
From David Troxell - Product Scope 7 - Encourager Software
Clarion Third Party Profile Exchange Online
http://encouragersoftware.com/profile/clarlinks.html
Profile Exchanges - www.encouragersoftware.com/profile/
http://www.profileexchanges.com/blog/

[NewsArchive]

Hi David,

> to a much LARGER market - developers in general - so I'd suggest minimally
> re-editing it, and at least with a signature pointing to your more general
> developer tool -

I thought I had... Will check it out!

Best regards,


--
Arnór Baldvinsson - Icetips Creative, Inc.
Port Angeles, Washington
www.icetips.com - www.buildautomator.com

Icetips product subscriptions at http://www.icetips.com/subscribe.php

[NewsArchive]

> Hi David,
>
> > to a much LARGER market - developers in general - so I'd suggest minimally
> > re-editing it, and at least with a signature pointing to your more general
> > developer tool -
>
> I thought I had... Will check it out!

Arnor,

Well, by name - yes - but no clickable product URL - make it EASY to
find your product! Let some just click on the URL out of curiosity!

David

--
From David Troxell - Product Scope 7 - Encourager Software
Clarion Third Party Profile Exchange Online
http://encouragersoftware.com/profile/clarlinks.html
Profile Exchanges - www.encouragersoftware.com/profile/
http://www.profileexchanges.com/blog/

[NewsArchive]

Hi Arnor

Great, thanks for that... great information.

Re:
CSIDL_COMMON_DOCUMENTS
CSIDL_PERSONAL

I have been unable to resolve an issue where I installed an app using SB6 and
installed a settings file ( ZZZsets.tps )to the CSIDL_COMMON_DOCUMENTS

When the user runs my program, it seems it does not see the ZZZsetts.TPS file in that
location.

This is in a SBS (Small Business Server) corporate networked environment and I have
been advised by their tech support guy that:-

"SBS is redirecting your (and everyone else's) DOCUMENTS directory so im not sure how
this ZZZ app will cope with the differences? Ive got a feeling that the paths are hard
coded into the app and if the paths are different, then the app may not work?"

So it looks like SB6 running elevated finds the correct CSIDL_COMMON_DOCUMENTS folder,
but when the program runs under a user account, CSIDL_COMMON_DOCUMENTS and
CSIDL_PERSONAL seem somehow both mapped to only the CSIDL_PERSONAL folder.

Does anyone know if it's possible in SBS to re-map CSIDL_COMMON_DOCUMENTS to
CSIDL_PERSONAL for non-admin users? If so, then perhaps I need to try
CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA and hope that it is not re-mapped like this.

John Griffiths

[NewsArchive]

As I've written elsewhere, John, I'm not thrilled with locating common
(shared) data Microsoft's way for various reasons on single workstations or
in a workgroup.

In a client/server situation, things get more complicated.
Active Directory settings in a domain environment can remap users documents
(or My Documents) folders transparently to some server location.

Is your TPS settings file common or individual? Do ordinary users need to
write to it?
In some server-based apps I use TPS files which contain SQL connection
information. I put these files in the same folder with the app, and have
the app open them read-only (unless being run in setup mode by an
administrator). Haven't tried this live with Server 2008, but in a Server
2003 Active Directory domain comprising two WAN-connected sites it works
fine because if users have permissions to run the app they have permissions
to open the settings file read-only.

Jane

[NewsArchive]

Jane

>As I've written elsewhere, John, I'm not thrilled with locating common
>(shared) data Microsoft's way for various reasons on single workstations or
>in a workgroup.

Thanks for all you have writtien here and on ClarionMag.


>In a client/server situation, things get more complicated.
>Active Directory settings in a domain environment can remap users documents
>(or My Documents) folders transparently to some server location.

Dang! I did not want to know that! <G>

>Is your TPS settings file common or individual? Do ordinary users need to
>write to it?
>In some server-based apps I use TPS files which contain SQL connection
>information.

Yes, that is exactly what I am storing there.- the SQL connection settings and a
license key. They should be avail to all users for reading, and I would like for them
also to be able to change the settings. I may need to review the need for all users to
be able to change a connection setting. I could add a small SB6 based app to get over
that hurdle.

>I put these files in the same folder with the app, and have
>the app open them read-only (unless being run in setup mode by an
>administrator). Haven't tried this live with Server 2008, but in a Server
>2003 Active Directory domain comprising two WAN-connected sites it works
>fine because if users have permissions to run the app they have permissions
>to open the settings file read-only.

That makes sense too! Might try that next time.

Thanks

John Griffiths

[NewsArchive]

Hi Jane,

> administrator). Haven't tried this live with Server 2008, but in a Server
> 2003 Active Directory domain comprising two WAN-connected sites it works
> fine because if users have permissions to run the app they have permissions
> to open the settings file read-only.

I read on a website
(http://www.mail-archive.com/use-revo.../msg89921.html -
about 1/4 down the page "The problem is XP Server 2003 does not have a
CSIDL_COMMON_DOCUMENTS folder") tonight that WS2003 does not have
CSIDL_COMMON_DOCUMENTS. I'm right now installing WS2003 to see if that
holds water or not. Any comments on this statement?

Best regards,

--
Arnór Baldvinsson - Icetips Creative, Inc.
Port Angeles, Washington
www.icetips.com - www.buildautomator.com

Icetips product subscriptions at http://www.icetips.com/subscribe.php

[NewsArchive]

Hi Jane,

> CSIDL_COMMON_DOCUMENTS. I'm right now installing WS2003 to see if that
> holds water or not. Any comments on this statement?

I have tested this and CSIDL_COMMON_DOCUMENT shows up fine on Windows Server
2003 R2 with SP2. That is with all currently available updates (including
IE 7)

Best regards,

--
Arnor Baldvinsson
Icetips Creative, Inc

[NewsArchive]

What about installing in C:\myprogramm when installing on vista? Both app and
data? Should this no work?

Thanks much Kai