Webpage Only Writes Text File on Some Workstations 1

[cembtw]

(Part of this involves 2003SBS, but I figured the XP forum was the best place for this as all the workstations are XP Pro.)

My firm has a local .aspx website (that I did not create) which includes the following feature:
On one page, a user can "export" the results of a stored procedure to a user-defined text file (the page uses streamwriter to do this).

- Several months ago, this apparently stopped working for some of my workstations. Even though no errors are reported, the file remains in its previous state. I don't know of any changes that could have occurred back then to affec this.(I DO know that the code hasn't changed.)

- However, when the operation is run on the server (where the site/database/etc. reside) or on any number of "good" workstations, the file is properly written.

I thought it might be permissions issues, but everything looks in order...or perhaps communication/authentication issues the security tab in the "bad" workstations show nothing but success audits.

I am rather novice when it come to this environment, so help or hints as to what I should be looking for would be greatly appreciated!

 

[linney]

As well as any Sharing Permissions, have you looked at the actual NTFS Security Permissions for the destination file. Does removing any Share and then recreating it do anything?

Are there any third party programs or even security programs that might be interfering?

310353 - How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310353&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

316434 - HOW TO: Perform Advanced Clean-Boot Troubleshooting in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;316434&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

310560 - How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310560

If you add the website as a Trusted Site via IE (if that is possible) does that help?

Can you use a program like this to see what might be happening?

Process Monitor v2.8

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-au/sysinternals/bb896645.aspx

 

[cembtw]

I decided to attempt the easiest fix first (adding the site to "Trusted") and *voila!* the file correctly writes.

However, I don't think the site was removed from the "bad" PCs Trusted Zone those months ago, and the "good" PCs don't have the site in their trusted lists.

I will probably just attribute it to differing IE settings and use Group Policy to add the site to "Trusted" on all machines. Though, do you think it could be a symptom of a larger problem that this just works around?

Anyway, thanks for your suggestions & the fix!

 

[linney]

I haven't really got a clue to that last question, I guess by lowering the security settings via adding the site as Trusted, you would have to compare the security settings of browsers on the various machines and see if you could pick up any differences in the settings.

 

[cembtw]

By comparing all the differences in "good" and "bad" workstations' security settings, I narrowed it down to "Include local directory path when uploading files to a server" which is disabled by default.

The setting is enabled by default for Trusted Sites.
The working PCs had the setting changed to "enabled" for some reason, so they worked even without a trusted site.

Thanks again.
*SOLVED*