VFP7 & \Windows\Temp folder

[eogvot]

I supplied a VFP7 app to a large customer with very tight security requirements. They are upset that VFP is writing to the \Windows\Temp folder - a violation of their security protocols. Since my app does not reference this folder, I assume that VFP is doing so for its own purposes.

What does VFP write to the \Windows\Temp folder? Is there a way to configure VFP to use another folder instead?

 

[Mike Lewis]

By default, VFP writes temporary files to the user's Temp folder. This is defined by Windows. It is usually in "Documents and Settings\<user name>\Local Settings\temp" or something similar.

To change the location, either:

- Go to Tools / Options / File Locations in VFP, and edit the "Temporary Files" entry, or:

- Use a Config.FPW file, with a TMPFILES entry.

The first option only applies to your development environment. The second option is the one you want for your distributed application.

Personally, I would have thought the user's temp directory would be secure, since it is personal to the user and local to their system. But who knows ...

Mike

__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Visual FoxPro tips, advice, training, consultancy
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[DSummZZZ]

What does VFP write to the \Windows\Temp folder?

Just to clarify or add to Mike's reply, temp files that get written mostly happen from running queries to cursors.

And as Mike said, the temp is defined by the system. It sounds as though they need to tweak their own policy and make a change their system settings to change the TEMP (or TMP) environment variable.


-Dave Summers-

Even more Fox stuff at:

http://www.davesummers.net/foxprolinks.htm

 

[Mike Lewis]

Yes, I agree with Dave.

I suspect that the security risk is not caused by files being written to the Windows Temp folder. If that was the case, half the commercial applications on our computers would be guilty.

Their problem is more likely that the contents of cursors - which in turn might contain confidential data - are being physically stored on a hard drive, albeit temporarily. I don't off-hand know a solution to that.

Mike

__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Visual FoxPro tips, advice, training, consultancy
Custom software for your business