Develop Reference

Illegal characters in path when uploading from an Android device

I have a form on an ASP.Net MVC website where users are supposed to upload files, Here's my code:
...
if (file.ContentLength > 4194304 || file.FileName.Length <= 0)
{
ViewBag.Error = "Invalid file format or size";
}
fileName = Path.GetFileName(file.FileName);
...
var path = Path.Combine(Server.MapPath("~/App_Data/Folder"), Model.UploadedFile);
file.SaveAs(path);
the code works fine most of the time but occasionally the following exception is thrown:
System.ArgumentException: Illegal characters in path. at System.IO.Path.CheckInvalidPathChars(String path, Boolean checkAdditional) at System.IO.FileStream.Init(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, Int32 rights, Boolean useRights, FileShare share, Int32 bufferSize, FileOptions options, SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES secAttrs, String msgPath, Boolean bFromProxy, Boolean useLongPath, Boolean checkHost) at System.IO.FileStream..ctor(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share, Int32 bufferSize, FileOptions options, String msgPath, Boolean bFromProxy) at System.IO.FileStream..ctor(String path, FileMode mode) at System.Web.HttpPostedFile.SaveAs(String filename)
However I noticed that every time this exception is thrown the user was using an Android device (Sample UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; Android 4.4.2; ar-ae; SAMSUNG GT-I9301I Build/KOT49H) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/1.5 Chrome/28.0.1500.94 Mobile Safari/537.36).
I tried uploading files using my Android device and it works fine, so any ideas?

So the error is coming from Path.GetFileName() method. This is due to illegal characters in a file name. You can find illegal characters with method Path.GetInvalidPathChars(). So if the file name has one of those illegal characters, you can handle it.
References:
Path.GetFileName Method (String): https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.io.path.getfilename%28v=vs.110%29.aspx
Path.GetInvalidPathChars Method (): https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.io.path.getinvalidpathchars%28v=vs.110%29.aspx

IIS 7 Access to the path is denied when trying to generate report

We are getting this error message upon trying to generate a report not accessing a file. We are using IIS 7.
XXX is located on a different server than the web server.
2014-10-24 11:04:13,287 [5] ERROR FOUNDATION [(null)] - Access to the path '\\XXX \file2022.pdf' is denied.
System.UnauthorizedAccessException: Access to the path '\\XXX\file.pdf' is denied.
at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath)
at System.IO.FileStream.Init(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, Int32 rights, Boolean useRights, FileShare share, Int32 bufferSize, FileOptions options, SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES secAttrs, String msgPath, Boolean bFromProxy)
at System.IO.FileStream..ctor(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share, Int32 bufferSize, FileOptions options, String msgPath, Boolean bFromProxy)
at System.IO.FileStream..ctor(String path, FileMode mode)
at CrystalDecisions.CrystalReports.Engine.FormatEngine.WriteStreamToFile(Stream stream, String filename)
at CrystalDecisions.CrystalReports.Engine.FormatEngine.ExportStreamToFile(Stream stream, DiskFileDestinationOptions options)
at CrystalDecisions.CrystalReports.Engine.FormatEngine.Export(ExportRequestContext reqContext)
at CrystalDecisions.CrystalReports.Engine.ReportDocument.ExportToDisk(ExportFormatType formatType, String fileName)
at GlobalFunctions.GenerateCrystalReport(String reportFileName, String outputFileName, List`1 params) in C:\NetProjects\branches\R7\GUIs\Foundation\App_Code\GlobalFunctions.vb:line 347

If you must access files like this make sure your Application Pool is running as a domain user with read permission to that location.

Write on Excel file while it is open by another user

I'm trying to edit an opened excel file (by another user in a shared network) in order to make some changes to it and save it back. But when I try to open the file I get the following error :
Message=The process cannot access the file
'Y:\COMMON\SharedFolders\Export.xlsx', because it is being used by another process.
Source=mscorlib
StackTrace:
à System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath)
à System.IO.FileStream.Init(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, Int32 rights, Boolean useRights, FileShare share, Int32 bufferSize, FileOptions options, SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES secAttrs, String msgPath, Boolean bFromProxy, Boolean useLongPath, Boolean checkHost)
à System.IO.FileStream..ctor(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share, Int32 bufferSize, FileOptions options, String msgPath, Boolean bFromProxy, Boolean useLongPath, Boolean checkHost)
à System.IO.File.InternalReadAllBytes(String path, Boolean checkHost)
à System.IO.File.ReadAllBytes(String path)
à OfficeOpenXml.ExcelPackage.ReadFile()
à OfficeOpenXml.ExcelPackage.ConstructNewFile(Stream stream, String password)
à OfficeOpenXml.ExcelPackage..ctor(FileInfo newFile)
By the way, I'm using the EPPLUS library.

You can't. That being said you can look into some "source-safe" solution (like svn, sharepoint or google docs). You can also implement some "poor man" source safe yourself - i.e. small web application that will act as proxy over file system & will allow you to upload file, list folder, download files.
Other option would be to delay update to date when no-one will be accessing that file.

Google allow multiple edit at the same time... maybe you should try to move that file there if possible.

Windows service cannot read file but application can

I have a Windows Service that needs to read a text file every 90 seconds or so and then do some actions. The problem is that I get 'Access Denied' errors when reading the file from a service, but I can read the file just fine from an app (using the exact same code). This is my first service so maybe I am missing something obvious? Here is the relevant code for the service (Doesn`t work)
protected override void OnStart(string[] args)
{
this.eventLog1.WriteEntry("my app in OnStart.");
ThreadPool.QueueUserWorkItem(new WaitCallback(ServiceWorkerThread));
}
private void ServiceWorkerThread(object state)
{
while (!this.stopping)
{
update_DB();
Thread.Sleep(90000);
}
this.stoppedEvent.Set();
}
protected void update_DB()
{
try
{
var lines = File.ReadAllLines("C:\\Users\\jkoegler\\Desktop\\text.xml");
//do a bunch of other stuff
}
catch (Exception e)
{
this.eventLog1.WriteEntry(e.ToString());
}
}
And here is what gets logged:
System.UnauthorizedAccessException: Access to the path
'C:\Users\jkoegler\Desktop\text.xml' is denied.
at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath)
at System.IO.FileStream.Init(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, Int32
rights, Boolean useRights, FileShare share, Int32 bufferSize, FileOptions options,
SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES secAttrs, String msgPath, Boolean bFromProxy, Boolean useLongPath)
at System.IO.FileStream..ctor(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare
share, Int32 bufferSize, FileOptions options, String msgPath, Boolean bFromProxy)
at System.IO.FileStream..ctor(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare
share, Int32 bufferSize, FileOptions options)
at System.IO.StreamReader..ctor(String path, Encoding encoding, Boolean
detectEncodingFromByteOrderMarks, Int32 bufferSize)
at System.IO.StreamReader..ctor(String path, Encoding encoding)
at System.IO.File.InternalReadAllLines(String path, Encoding encoding)
Now what gets me is that I can have this EXACT same code block (update_DB()) in a button click event in a regular windows forms app and it works fine. I can run the app at basically the same time as the service and it works just fine. What gives? I gave all users full access to the file and the folder. Thanks in advance

Windows services run as a specified user. You can view or change which user it is running under using the Services control panel.
Run: services.msc
or
Access via the Control Panel->Administrative Tools->Services
By default, it is probably running under the Local Service account, and that account probably doesn't have permissions to the file you are trying to read, but your account does.

Not able to upload a file on server

I am trying to upload an image.it works fine when i do it from my localhost but when i published it it throw an error from server:
When I use this code :
public string ImagePath(HttpPostedFileBase imgfile)
{
var path = "";
// code for saving the image file to a physical location.
var fileName = Path.GetFileName(imgfile.FileName);
path = Path.Combine(HttpContext.Server.MapPath("~/Images/Sections/Developer/ClientLogo"), fileName);
string fileNameWithoutExtension = System.IO.Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(imgfile.FileName);
int iteration = 1;
while (System.IO.File.Exists((path)))
{
fileName = string.Concat(fileNameWithoutExtension, "-", iteration, System.IO.Path.GetExtension(imgfile.FileName));
path = Path.Combine(HttpContext.Server.MapPath("~/Images/Sections/Developer/ClientLogo"), fileName);
iteration++;
}
imgfile.SaveAs(path);
// prepare a relative path to be stored in the database and used to display later on.
path = Url.Content(Path.Combine("~/Images/Sections/Developer/ClientLogo", fileName));
return path;
}
Error is
System.UnauthorizedAccessException: Access to the path 'D:\InetPub\vhosts\xx.com\httpdocs\Images\Sections\Developer\ClientLogo\circle-small-empty.18x18.png' is denied. at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath) at System.IO.FileStream.Init(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, Int32 rights, Boolean useRights, FileShare share, Int32 bufferSize, FileOptions options, SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES secAttrs, String msgPath, Boolean bFromProxy, Boolean useLongPath, Boolean checkHost) at System.IO.FileStream..ctor(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share, Int32 bufferSize, FileOptions options, String msgPath, Boolean bFromProxy) at System.IO.FileStream..ctor(String path, FileMode mode) at System.Web.HttpPostedFile.SaveAs(String filename) at System.Web.HttpPostedFileWrapper.SaveAs(String filename) at xx.CorporateSite.Controllers.DeveloperController.ImagePath(HttpPostedFileBase imgfile)
And when I use Server.MapPath instead of HttpContext.Server.MapPath it throw different error:
Error is:
System.IO.DirectoryNotFoundException: Could not find a part of the path 'D:\InetPub\vhosts\xx.com\httpdocs\Images\Sections\Developer\ClientLogo\demo.png'. at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath) at System.IO.FileStream.Init(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, Int32 rights, Boolean useRights, FileShare share, Int32 bufferSize, FileOptions options, SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES secAttrs, String msgPath, Boolean bFromProxy, Boolean useLongPath, Boolean checkHost) at System.IO.FileStream..ctor(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share, Int32 bufferSize, FileOptions options, String msgPath, Boolean bFromProxy) at System.IO.FileStream..ctor(String path, FileMode mode) at System.Web.HttpPostedFile.SaveAs(String filename) at System.Web.HttpPostedFileWrapper.SaveAs(String filename) at xx.CorporateSite.Controllers.DeveloperController.ImagePath(HttpPostedFileBase imgfile)
I tried to change the permission from my localhost but nothing is working...Please suggest me something

Your web application does not have permission to write to the location where you're trying to save the image. This is often handled by adding an entry to your web.config which points to a folder where all uploads are saved
<appSettings>
...
<add key="uploadPath" value="C:\Uploads"/>
...
</appSettings>
and then in your code you would read that configuration entry to identify the path where the image will be saved:
....
string path = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["uploadPath"];
string filePath = Path.Combine(path, fileName);
....
And then in order to save the files to this directory, you would need to set permissions on the directory so that the user that the web application is running as has Write permissions on that directory. This will allow you to write files from the web application to that folder.
This way, you, as the developer, are not dictating where the files go. The system administrator can decide both where the files go, and what permissions are necessary to support your web application.

Check to see if the folder's Read-Only attribute is active. If it is uncheck it in the properties of the folder if this is a windows machine.
If it keeps reverting you may need to take ownership of the folder by going to security->advanced->effective permissions->click select...->put in your username and check full control->then click ok out.