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Visual Studio 2022 C# ASP.NET Webforms with service reference text files not found on server (HTTP Error 404.0)

I am currently trying to create a web service application using Visual Studio 2022 ASP.NET Webforms application with a service reference. The goal is to take in information and store it as a text file on the local machine within the project folder so it is accessible by the web service on my local server.
I have successfully created the text files and can access them on my local machine, but when I navigate to the text file on my local server tree I get an HTTP Error 404.0 which is shown below. I need any user who accesses my server to be able to access the saved text files. I have tried to change security privileges on the folder and in my web.config file, but have not had any luck. I would appreciate any suggestions someone may have.
Here is my code for where I save the information as a text file.
// Randomly generate string for text file name
var chars = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789";
var textFile = new char[4];
var random = new Random();
for (int i = 0; i < textFile.Length; i++)
{
textFile[i] = chars[random.Next(chars.Length)];
}
eventFile = "\\";
eventFile += new String(textFile);
eventFile += ".txt";
folderPath = Server.MapPath("~/Events");
File.WriteAllText(folderPath + eventFile, fullEventDetails);
Both my URL and local file path are the following:
URL https://localhost:44399/sx1l.txt
Path Name \\Mac\Home\Desktop\Homework3\Homework3\sx1l.txt

Ok, so you have to keep in mind how file mapping works with IIS.
Your code behind:
that is plane jane .net code. For the most part, any code, any file operations using full qualified windows path names. It like writing desktop software. For the most part, that means code behind can grab/use/look at any file on your computer.
However, in practice when you use a full blown web server running ISS (which you not really doing during development with VS and IIS express)? Often, for reasons of security, then ONLY files in the wwwroot folder is given permissions to the web server.
However, you working on your development computer - you are in a effect a super user, and you (and more important) your code thus as a result can read/write and grab and use ANY file on your computer.
So, keep above VERY clear in your mind:
Code behind = plane jane windows file operations.
Then we have requests from the web side of things (from a web page, or a URL you type into the web browser.
In that case, files are ONLY EVER mapped to the root of your project, and then sub folders.
So, you could up-load a file, and then with code behind save the file to ANY location on your computer.
However, web based file (urls) are ONLY ever mapped though the web site.
So, in effect, you have to consider your VS web project the root folder. And if you published to a real web server, that would be the case.
So, if you have the project folder, you can add a sub folder to that project.
Say, we add a folder called UpLoadFiles. (and make sure you use VS to add that folder). So we right click on the project and choose add->
So, you right click on the base project and add, like this:
So, that will simple create a sub folder in your project, you see it like this:
So, the folder MUST be in the root, or at the very least start in the root or base folder your project is.
So, for above, then with UpLoadFiles, then any WEB based path name (url) will be this:
https://localhost:44399/UpLoadFiles/sx1l.txt
(assuming we put the file in folder UpLoadFiles).
But, if you want to write code to touch/use/read/save and work with that file?
You need to translate the above url into that plane jane windows path name. (for ANY code behind).
So, if I want to in code read that file name?
Then I would use Server.MapPath() to translate this url.
say somthing like this:
string strFileName = "sx1l.txt";
string strFolderName = "UpLoadFiles"
string strInternaleFileName = server.MapPath(#"~/" + strFolderNme + #"/" + sx1l.txt";
// ok, so now we have the plane jane windows file name. It will resolve to something like say this:
C:\Users\AlbertKallal\source\repos\MyCalendar\UpLoadFiles\sx1l.txt
I mean I don't really care, but that web server code could be running on some server and that path name could be even more ugly then above - but me the developer don't care.
but, from a web browser and web server point of view (URL), then above would look like this:
https://localhost:44392/UpLoadFiles/sx1l.txt
And in markup, I could drop in say a hyper link such as:
UpLoadFiles/sx1l.txt
So, keep CRYSTAL clear in your mind with working with path names.
Web based URL, or markup = relative path name, ONLY root or sub folders allowed
code behind: ALWAYS will use a plane jane full windows standard file and path.
But, what about the case where you have big huge network attached storage computer - say will a boatload of PDF safety documents, or a catalog of part pictures?
Well, then you can adopt and use what we call a "virtual" folder. They are pain to setup in IIS express, but REALLY easy to setup if you using IIS to setup and run the final server where you going to publish the site to.
Suffice to say, a virtual folder allows you to map a EXTERNAL folder into the root path name of your side.
So, you might have say a big server with a large number of PDF docuemnts,
say on
\\corporate-server1\PDF\Documents
so, in IIS, you can add the above path name, say as a folder called PDF.
Say like this:
So, WHEN you do the above, then the folder will appear like any plane jane folder in the root of the project, but the file paths can and will be on a complete different location OUTSIDE of the wwwroot folder for the web site.
So, now that we have the above all clear?
\\Mac\Home\Desktop\Homework3\Homework3\sx1l.txt
But, your code has this:
folderPath = Server.MapPath("~/Events");
File.WriteAllText(folderPath + eventFile, fullEventDetails);
(you missing the trailing "/" in above, you need this:
File.WriteAllText(folderPath + #"/" + eventFile, fullEventDetails);
So, that means the url for the text file will then be:
https://localhost:44399/Events/sx1l.txt
And if you using Visual Studio to add files to that folder (add->existing items), then MAKE SURE you Build->rebuild all (else the file will not be included in the debug run + launching of IIS express.
So, given that you saving into a folder called Events (as sub folder of wwwroot, or your base folder for hte web site, then the above is the url you should use, but your code always was missing that "/" between folder and file name.

C# Upload Files on another partition of the server

I'm using FileUpload.SaveAs() function of C# to upload files to the server but I want to save the files on another partition. Let us say, save the files on Drive D of the server instead on the current drive which is Drive C. Please share your thoughts. Thanks is advance.
I have learned that using full path such as
FileUpload.SaveAs("D:\FileUpload");
will save the file outside the web server.
Check this out.
To simplify the question, how can I upload files on the other partition of the server that hosts my web app?

Based on the documentation from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.web.ui.webcontrols.fileupload.saveas.aspx, the String filename is the full path name of the location to save. Meaning you should be able to do so e.g:
FileUpload.SaveAs("D:\where_you_want_to_save")
By the way what have you tried and what error did you get?

Looking at the example on MSDN, it would appear that .SaveAs() accepts a fully qualified file name as a parameter. You could potentially use a Path object to cleanly build a path for the file, or just specify one directly as a string:
uploader.SaveAs("d:\\someFolder\\someFile.ext");

Resolved this by using Virtual Directory of IIS and providing admin credentials for authentication

Save SQLite database into Documents Folder win Windows Store App

I've been writing a Windows 8 Store App using XAML and C# and the target device is a Windows Surface tablet.
Within my application I use a SQLite database.
To create/load the database I use the following code:
DBPath = Path.Combine(Windows.Storage.ApplicationData.Current.LocalFolder.Path, "MyDatabase.sqlite");
However I'd like to store the database in the Documents folder so I tried the follow line of code to replace my line above :
DBPath = Path.Combine(Windows.Storage.KnownFolders.DocumentsLibrary.Path, "MyDatabase.sqlite");
When I try this I get the following error:
WinRT information: Access to the specified location (DocumentsLibrary) requires a capability to be declared in the manifest.
So I open Package.appxmanifest and select Documents Library under capabilities and under the declarations tab I've added a File Type Association. Then under Properties I've entered
sqlite in the Name box and .sqlite in the File type box. I've entered no other information on the Package.appxmanifest screen.
Now when I run the app I receive the following error:
Could not open database file: MyDatabase.sqlite (CannotOpen)
When I inspect Windows.Storage.KnownFolders.DocumentsLibrary.Path it equals "". I would have expected the full location path here.
Can anyone help and has anybody ever saved a SQLite database to the documents folder?
Thanks in advance.

KnownFolders.DocumentsLibrary does not have a path since it's a virtual location. Take a look at this answer for more details. This could make it impossible to open a SQLite database there, at least using the APIs available in sqlite-net library.
Also before using access to Documents library in your Windows Store app keep in mind that for publishing an app with this capability to the store you need to have a company account. With an individual account such applications will be rejected.

asp.net MVC3 create folder where application can write in

I need to create a folder to use for storing files within it, in a .Net MVC3 application, but I think the problem is common to all ASP.Net platform.
Problem is I can create the folder, but cannot write the files, because System.UnauthorizedAccessException occurred.
I also tryed givin extra permission to the user currently running the web app, but nothing changes.
This is my code so far:
if (!System.IO.Directory.Exists(fullPath))
{
System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(fullPath);
var user = System.Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity.GetCurrent().User;
var userName = user.Translate(typeof(System.Security.Principal.NTAccount));
var dirInfo = new System.IO.DirectoryInfo(fullPath);
var sec = dirInfo.GetAccessControl();
sec.AddAccessRule(new System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemAccessRule(userName,
System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemRights.Modify,
System.Security.AccessControl.AccessControlType.Allow)
);
dirInfo.SetAccessControl(sec);
System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(fullPath);
}
string fullPathFileName = System.IO.Path.Combine(fullPath, fileName);
System.IO.File.WriteAllBytes(fullPath, viaggio.Depliant.RawFile);
Too bad, last line of code always throw System.UnauthorizedAccessException.
I'm not impersonating user in my app, everything run under a predefined user.
What should I do to create a folder and assure that the application can also create files within it?
Edited:
I also tryed to save the files in the App_Data special folder, but I still got the System.UnauthorizedAccessException error. Somebody can tell me why is that happening?

I hate to answer my own question when the problem is that stupid...
I'm just trying to save a file without a proper filename: you can see I'm using the fullPath variable both for creating the folder and for saving the file, instead of using the correctly created fullPathFileName.
Blame on me!

Use App_Data folder, quote from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/06t2w7da%28v=vs.80%29.aspx :
To improve the security of the data used by your ASP.NET application, a new subfolder named App_Data has been added for ASP.NET applications. Files stored in the App_Data folder are not returned in response to direct HTTP requests, which makes the App_Data folder the recommended location for data stored with your application, including .mdf (SQL Server Express Edition), .mdb (Microsoft Access), or XML files. Note that when using the App_Data folder to store your application data, the identity of your application has read and write permissions to the App_Data folder.

Error opening connection to SQL CE file on test machine

I'm testing my application on a non-administrator windows 7 account. The application is installed into program files. This includes the .sdf file I need to read from. I've got the connection string marked as read only and set the temp path to my documents. This is the error that it spits out when I try to do connection.Open()
Internal error: Cannot open the shared
memory region
I've got the connection string defined in app.config, but I'm modifying it before I start using the connection. This part is in app.config Data Source=|DataDirectory|\DB.sdf;Password=password;
And then I modify it like so:
connection = new SqlCeConnection(connectionString +
";Mode=Read Only; Temp Path=" + Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.MyDocuments));
This works on my developer machine (obviously) since its running from outside of a read-only directory. But even when I manually mark the .sdf file as read-only it still works, and successfully creates the temporary db file in the correct folder. However, on the test machine everything is located in a read-only program files folder, and it doesn't work.
The main goal of this problem is trying to make sure my program doesn't have to be ran as an administrator, and I would like to keep from moving the main copy of the db file from outside of the installation directory.
Let me know if I need to explain anything else. Thanks

I'm using a sql ce database too and had the same problems. my solution was to create the database in a subfolder in Environment.SpecialFolder.CommonApplicationData. If only one user will use it you can create it in Environment.SpecialFolder.ApplicationData. But here you don't need admin rights.
Another point is your connection string in your app.config. If you'll modify it in your program like me, it must be located in such a 'non-admin-right-needed' folder too. I have a static app.config in my app-folder in program files, but a second one with the connection string in Environment.SpecialFolder.LocalApplicationData (this is 'username\AppData\Local' in Win7). And I protect my connectionstring with DataProtectionConfigurationProvider encryption, so no one can read the data base password.
This is how you can map your second app.config to your app:
string ConfigPathString = #"{0}\MyApp\MyApp.config";
string ConfigPath = String.Format( ConfigPathString, System.Environment.GetFolderPath( Environment.SpecialFolder.LocalApplicationData ) );
ExeConfigurationFileMap fileMap = new ExeConfigurationFileMap();
fileMap.ExeConfigFilename = ConfigPath;
Configuration Config = ConfigurationManager.OpenMappedExeConfiguration( fileMap, ConfigurationUserLevel.None );
string myConnectionString = ConnectionStrings.ConnectionStrings["MyConnectionStringKey"].ConnectionString;

Like Calgary already mentioned in his comments you can't really open the file directly in the programs folder due to the restrictions of Windows 7 to non-admins. But due to the fact that you don't want to write anything into it, why don't you simply copy at startup the file into Environment.SpecialFolder.ApplicationData?
When your program starts up simply copy the file out of the programs folder into a proper location, use it as you like and delete it on application exit. So you don't leave any fragments (except the application would crash).
Just to be sure for the last scenario, you could add an additional delete operation to the setup deinstallation routine. So if the application will be removed and it crashed at the last start the setup will remove the trash, leaving the machine as before the installation of the software.