Copy File Security Problems in windows 7

[qamarzaman]

Dear All,
I am using Windows 7, I want to copy file in "c:\windows" folder through VFP 9.

I am using this command.
COPY FILE testfile.txt TO GETENV("windir")+"\"

But Error show
" Cannot Create File c:\windows\ "

Kindly Help Me.

Thanks
Qamar

 

[Olaf Doschke]

This is a protected system folder, you can't copy to it without process elevation, as in eg a setup. Why do you have he need to write into the OS system folder?

Bye, Olaf.

 

[Mike Lewis]

I agree with what Olaf said about it being a protected folder.

But, in any case, the syntax is wrong. You need to drop the final backslash. In other words, instead of this:

COPY FILE testfile.txt TO GETENV("windir")+"\"

do this:

COPY FILE testfile.txt TO GETENV("windir")

Mike



__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Visual FoxPro articles, tips and downloads

 

[Dan Freeman]

I've seen some places where "windir" doesn't have the trailing backslash. Given that, it should be AddBS(Getenv("windir")), which covers either case.

Also, the TO needs a file name, not just a path.

In an earlier era, I had to debug someone else's code that did this:

COPY FILE foo.txt TO Getenv("temp")+ lcFilename

The bug report was "I'm getting files in my windows directory with names like "temp47699315.txt". The temp variable was missing the backslash, i.e. "C:\Windows\temp".

That said, DON'T DO THIS!

 

[Olaf Doschke]

>TO needs a file name, not just a path.
No. It's not documented, but this works:

If !Directory("D:\temp")
   MkDir D:\temp
EndIf 
Copy File Home()+"BUILDER.APP" to d:\temp

The help says both Filename1 and Filename2 must contain file extensions, which indicates you also need a destination file name, true. But you can also use joker chars as ? and *, The help gives the example COPY FILE *.PRG TO *.BAK, which indicates some automatism on keeping the file name for the destination folder, if it's provided partially only, as in *.BAK and specifying a destination path only, the full source file name is taken for the copied file name.

What indeed causes an error even though D:\temp is not a secured folder is

Copy File Home()+"BUILDER.APP" to d:\temp\

What works again of course is

Copy File Home()+"BUILDER.APP" to d:\temp\builder.app

In the end I agree using ADDBS() is always a good thing, in this case you would rather need REMOVEBS, which doesn't exists. Instead you use Justpath, as Justpath removes a trailing backslash, but it also removes a folder name, if there is no trailung backslash. So you need to add an eventually missing backslash first, and then remove it: Justpath(Addbs(GetEnv("Windir"))), but you'd still not write there without being privileged, even as admin user, you need process elevation additional to being an admin, that's UAC security.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[Olaf Doschke]

Oh, and in case you specify a destination folder only, and the destination folder does not exist, it is'n created, thee also is no error. Instead you get a file with that name, as any folder name also is a valid name for a file, just not having a file extension. This is where it also can get messy.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[craigber]

Why are you copying to the Windows folder? You shouldn't do that.

Craig Berntson
MCSD, Visual C# MVP,

http://www.craigberntson.com/blog

 

[Olaf Doschke]

Yes, that's what I also said initially.

In more detail, if you eg copy redist.txt from HOME() (just as a sample file everyone has) by

Copy File Home()+"redist.txt" to JustPath(Addbs(GetEnv("windir")))

This will not error, but the builder.app will not be copied to %Windir%\redist.txt but you'll find it in C:\Users\yourwindowsaccountnamehere\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Windows\redist.txt

The VirtualStore folder is, where all such redirected write access ends up, this is what UAC (user account control) does.

There are few things to put into C:\Windows\, even if you run a setup, this normally installs into C:\Program Files. Hardware drivers may end up in C:\Windows\ subdirectories. If you need to do anything, do it the appropriate way via a setup or hardware driver installation, whatever, but system folders are for the system only. Win.INI, Autoexce.bat etc are things from the past, I don't see why you would have the need to write into the OS system base folder.

Bye, Olaf.