Windows Service

[provo12354]

Hi Guys,

I have written a Windows Service which has Timer and Event Log Controls. After every 3 seconds, the service must write the list of files in a mapped directory on the network to the Event Log.

Here is the part of the code that I am trying to get working....

Private Sub Timer1_Elapsed(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Timers.ElapsedEventArgs) Handles Timer1.Elapsed
Dim di As New DirectoryInfo("u:\pro\inv-reports")
' Create an array representing the files in the current directory.
Dim fi As FileInfo() = di.GetFiles()
' Print out the names of the files in the current directory.
Dim fiTemp As FileInfo
For Each fiTemp In fi
EventLog1.WriteEntry("Filename :" + fiTemp.Name)
Next fiTemp
Beep()
End Sub


The above code is supposed to print the files present in "u:\pro\inv-reports" directory to the event log (Here "u" is a mapped network drive). However, it does not work.


But the code below which access the director "c:\bin" on the local machine, works!

Private Sub Timer1_Elapsed(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Timers.ElapsedEventArgs) Handles Timer1.Elapsed
Dim di As New DirectoryInfo("c:\bin")
' Create an array representing the files in the current directory.
Dim fi As FileInfo() = di.GetFiles()
' Print out the names of the files in the current directory.
Dim fiTemp As FileInfo
For Each fiTemp In fi
EventLog1.WriteEntry("Filename :" + fiTemp.Name)
Next fiTemp
Beep()
End Sub


So, I tried something else. I tried to access the network drive using a windows console application rather than a windows service. And to my surprise, it worked...
Imports System.IO

Module Module1

Sub Main()
Dim di As New DirectoryInfo("u:\pro\inv-reports")
' Create an array representing the files in the current directory.
Dim fi As FileInfo() = di.GetFiles()
Console.WriteLine("The following files exist in the print directory:")
' Print out the names of the files in the current directory.
Dim fiTemp As FileInfo
For Each fiTemp In fi
Console.WriteLine(fiTemp.Name)
Next fiTemp
Console.ReadLine()
End Sub

End Module


Can't a windows service access a network drive? I did set it up as a network service.

All suggestions/ideas are welcome

Thanks in anticipation.
Shashi

[Edneeis]

Its probably a permissions issue. When you run a service it doesn't run under a specific user account so the account it is using probably doesn't have permissions to access the network store. Try having it run as a specific user. That would also explain why the code works under different kinds of projects (windows or console) because then you are running it as your user account.

[provo12354]

Thanks for your immediate reply. It makes sense. But I am having another problem now.

I changed the Account type (of ServiceProcessInstaller) from NetworkService to User. When I rebuilt the solution and tried installing it, I am asked to enter user name and password. I entered my username and password for this windows machine but I am given the following error message ...
"The account name is invalid or does not exist, or the password is invalid for the name specified".

That's surprising because, I am sure the username and password are correct ! (And the CAPSLOCK is not ON)

I tried something else too..
When the "Set Service Login" dialog-box appears while installing the service, I now typed "abcd" in the "Username" field (a non existent account) and typed "1234" in the "Password" and "Confirm Password" fields. It gives me a different error message.. "No mapping between account names and security IDs was done". Does this help in narrowing my problem?

All pointers are welcome.

Thank you
Shashi

[provo12354]

Guess what! I finally managed to install the service using my "User" account. You know what the problem was, I had to type in the username in "ComputerName\Username" format!

However, I still cannot access my mapped network drive! hahaha I am going crazy now. Tell me what to do?

Thanks
Shashi

[provo12354]

I got it working finally! All I had to do was use the whole path to the network drive rather than using a mapped drive.

Thanks for your replies.

Shashi