Microsoft KB Archive/308896

Knowledge Base

PRB: [SSAFE] - File Access Error on Ss.ini When Remotely Accessing Database in the Default Installation Location

Article ID: 308896

Article Last Modified on 2/23/2007

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APPLIES TO

• Microsoft Visual SourceSafe 6.0C, when used with:
  • Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2002 Professional Edition
  • Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2002 Enterprise Architect
  • Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2002 Enterprise Developer
• Microsoft Visual SourceSafe 6.0 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q308896

SYMPTOMS

When you access a Visual SourceSafe database from a remote (client) computer, various errors may be returned indicating there are insufficient permissions to the SS.ini file. For example:

Access to the file "\\MachineA\vss\users\user1\ss.ini" denied

CAUSE

By default, on Windows 2000 members of the Users group are not given write or modify permissions to folders in the Program Files tree. This is what causes the problem.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, do not install the Visual SourceSafe database to the default location (the Program Files folder), because it is inherited permissions from this folder that cause the problem.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

1. Install Visual SourceSafe on one computer (for example, MachineA). Let it create a database at the standard install location (C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\VSS).
2. Create a share at the database install directory (C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\VSS in this example) named VSS. Add a user ( User1) to the Visual SourceSafe database who is not a member of MachineA's Administrators or Power Users group, but is a member of the Users group. (By default domain users will be members of the local computer's Users group).
3. On another (remote) computer that has the Visual SourceSafe client installed, log on as User1. Connect to the Visual SourceSafe database on MachineA by using the client in the development tool of your choice or the Visual SourceSafe Explorer.
   
   Note that various errors are returned when you attempt to access the SourceSafe database in this scenario. For example:

   Unable to open user login file path to ..data\loggedin\VSSusername.log

4. On MachineA open the Properties dialog box for C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\VSS. Look at the Security tab and note that the Users group has read, list folder contents, and read & execute Permissions. Give the Users group write permission. (Note that these are operating system file permissions, NOT share permissions.)
5. Next, open the database from the remote computer. Now you can access Visual SourceSafe, but when you close the database you will get:

   Access to the file "\\MachineA\vss\users\user1\ss.ini" denied

6. Go back to MachineA and give the Users group modify permission (allows files to be deleted).
7. Note that User1 can now access the database from remote computers.

REFERENCES

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

131022 INFO: Required Network Rights for the SourceSafe Directories

Keywords: kbprb kbsrccontrol kbssexplorer KB308896

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