"cannot write to db file"

  • Thread starter Thread starter pauld
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pauld

Hello -
I have created a simple web application in VS 2005/ASP.net 2.0 for a
university department to track problems with a new website that I have
built for them. The app consists of an Access 2003 db configured to
use the aspnet role provider (via the "unreleased" Access Providers)
and it also has a "bugs" table that stores the data relevant to
problems reported by users. Users login via an asp.net login control
and from there can create a new record and view previous reports, etc.
"Admins" can edit the reports and change the status from "Open" to
"Closed" and add comments. Nothing too tricky, right?

Here's the problem: this app runs perfectly well on two different
computers within VS' test server, but when the site is put on an
actual development server when you try to login, *with the proper
credentials* you get the error "cannot write to db file". If you try
to login with bad credentials you are told that you have not entered
valid username/pass.

Obviously the connection to the db is functioning, to the extent that
it can validate credentials. I know that the aspnet provider logs user
activity, so a successful login must be written to the db, so that's
why the good credentials get rejected if there;s no successful write.
Now, all of my research on this suggests that this is a permissions
issue with either the db, the directory , or *something* that is
really not, strictly speaking, a programming error.

The problem I am having is that not only do I not have authority or
access to the actual server to change permissions, I also do not
really know much about IIS or network administration. I know how to
develop web stuff, not administer servers. The person I am working
with on this project knows Windows networking and IIS pretty well, but
does not know web development or asp.net.

I have forwarded him all the relevant links I can find on the this
problem, and he says that he has checked everything without success
and thinks it's either asp.net weirdness, bad coding, or both. I think
it's permissions...something.

I am going to meet with him later today and I would like to have
something concrete to check...does anyone have any ideas of something,
maybe a little obscure, that we can check? Or even a checklist so I
can verify for myself that everything that needs to be done is done?


Any and all help appreciated. If you have links, by all means pass
them along, though at this point I've probably seen 'em!

Thanks,
Paul
 
1. obviously .NET must have write permission to the .mdb file
2. not obviously but .NET account must have write/create permissions to the
whole folder. JET creates temp .ldb file to keep all locking information in
the same folder where .mdb file is.

George.
 
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