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Q207525: PRB: IIS4: ASP/ADO Do Not Work Across UNC Path

Article: Q207525
Product(s): Internet Information Server
Version(s): 1.5,2.0,2.01,2.1,2.1 SP1,2.1 SP2,4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbATM kbDatabase kbJET kbDSupport
Last Modified: 04-MAR-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Internet Information Server version 4.0 
- Microsoft Active Server Pages 
- ActiveX Data Objects (ADO), versions 1.5, 2.0, 2.01, 2.1, 2.1 SP1, 2.1 SP2 
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SYMPTOMS
========

Active Server Pages (ASP) and ActiveX Data Objects (ADO) cannot access a
Microsoft Access database across a universal naming convention (UNC) Path. The
following error message is generated:

  Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers error '80004005' [Microsoft][ODBC
  Microsoft Access 97 Driver]
  The Microsoft Jet database engine cannot open the file '(unknown)'. It is
  already opened exclusively by another user, or you need permission to view
  its data.
  /scripts/default.asp, line 11

CAUSE
=====

Internet Information Server (IIS) is not passing valid credentials to the share.
This behavior could occur because:

- The Web page's authenticated user, often the IUSR_Servername account, is not
  a valid account on the computer that is hosting the database file.

  -or-

- IIS is passing a secondary token for the account that does not have
  permission to access the file.

RESOLUTION
==========

Resolution 1:

This is more of an example of how to set this up assuming the following
conditions:

Webserver name: Server1

Database resides on the following share: \\Server2\Sharefolder\db.mdb

ConnectionString used:

  Set CN=Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
  CN.Open "DBQ=\\Server2\Sharefolder\db.mdb"

1. On both Server1 and Server2, create an Microsoft Windows NT account named
  "Server1Guest" (without the quotation marks) and give it the same password.*
  See NOTE.

2. On Server2, make sure that this account has sufficient privileges to access
  the database.

3. Open the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) on Server1. Drill down to your
  application, right-click on it, and then click to open Properties.

4. On the Security tab, make sure that the Allow Anonymous option is enabled.
  Click the Edit button for this option twice so that you are viewing the
  Account. It will usually be "IUSR_Server1."

5. Deselect Enable Password Synchronization, and change the user and password to
  Server1Guest and whatever password that you have chosen. DO NOT re-select
  Enable Password Synchronization.

6. Recycle the Web server. On the Start menu, select Run, and then type:

  "net stop iisadmin /y
  net start W3SVC" (without the quotation marks)

7. On Server1 in NT Explorer, make sure that Server1Guest has permissions to
  Inetpub/wwwroot/AppName and its subdirectories.

  *NOTE: This can be any valid NT Username, and you may leave it as
  IUSR_Server1. You must change the password and make sure that the Username
  and the password are EXACTLY the same in IIS on Server1, and in the User
  Manager for Domains in both Server1 and Server2.

Resolution 2.

1. Map a drive (x:) to the share and have it connect as someuser.

2. Create your ODBC connection to the mapped drive (x:\directory\database.mdb).

3. Set the virtual directory that the ASP is running under to: Run in separate
  memory space.

4. Create an IWAM_<computer name> account on the share computer and give
  it a password.

5. Grant that user the appropriate rights to the files and directory.

6. Synchronize the password that you assigned to the IWAM account on the
  ShareComputer with the IISComputer.

7. On the IISComputer, open the Internet Service Manager and expand the
  Microsoft Transaction Server folder until you reach the Packages Installed
  folder.

8. Highlight the following package name: IIS - {<Web site
  name>//Root/<virtual directory name>}, and choose Properties.

9. Click on the Identity tab and type in the password that you used for the
  IWAM_<computer name> account.

10. Stop and restart the Virtual Web site.

When you run a virtual directory in its own memory space, it runs as the
IWAM_<computer name> account. However, during the installation of IIS,
that account never gets a password. When you create the account for the share
computer, you must give it a password and synchronize the account passwords with
the IISComputer. The only step that is missing is the specification of the the
account password for the package that IIS creates.

WORKAROUND
----------

For additional information about a workaround, click the article number below to
view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q178215 HOWTO: Configure Visual InterDev to Work with an Authenticated Web
  Project

MORE INFORMATION
================

For additional information, click the article numbers below to view the articles
in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q166029 PRB: Cannot Open File Unknown Using Access

  Q234205 PRB: File '(unknown)', Exception Occurred, or No Data Using Recordset
  DTCs

Additional query words: 80004005 unknown

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbATM kbDatabase kbJET kbDSupport 
Technology        : kbiisSearch kbAudDeveloper kbADOsearch kbASPsearch kbADO150 kbADO210 kbADO201 kbADO200 kbADO210sp1 kbADO210sp2 kbiis400
Version           : :1.5,2.0,2.01,2.1,2.1 SP1,2.1 SP2,4.0
Issue type        : kbprb
Solution Type     : kbpending

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