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How to get the local desktop path of the users file when the application is hosted from server?

I am trying to run a macro-file that will be present in users desktop via my .net website, hence I would like to know how I can get the path of that macro file in my code and open it.
I am currently using following described code to get the path, and I think that this must be trying to take the path from server computer but I would like to get this from users computer, this particular macro file will open internet explorer and navigate to certain website and download a report to local computer hence I would like this to be run from users side.
string path = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Desktop);
Is it possible to get the path automatically or should i get that from user.
please provide suggestion.

You are hosting a website, which is using a web server like IIS and the user access the site using a browser like edge, chrome, now the file is in user desktop, so the main question remains,
Does the browser process have the access to the file system of the user
Mostly no, especially not via the call Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Desktop);, this will be good for running it on hosted sever, where w3p.exe process is accessing the file system with required permissions
For the end user desktop
You need to provide the file dialog box, let user select the file / directory and need to plan to serialize the file to the sever (upload) for doing any processing. You can binary serialize the file using a provider like protobuf, msgpack to achieve the necessary functionality
Code you have provided, is good for for the process where you have direct control, like Console, WPF, which runs on the system under certain permission and thus access the file system for processing

Access Database on server, installing an applicaiton that uses access database

1) I am developing a desktop application that connects to a access database to store some information. This access database is on a server. I can get to that server using FTP sequence. The server also has the capability to establish connection to access database. Right now, my application downloads the database file into a folder on the computer edits it and puts it back on the server. I would really love to know if its possible to connect to the access database, make changes to it all without downloading it so that I can save time.
2) If its not possible to do what I was asking for in question 1. Say, I share my application with my colleges and I want them to be able to do the same with the database editing. after I make an .exe file out of my project and send it to them. Do they need to install ACE.oledb.12 on every computer that I want to run it on?

As Access is a file based system rather than a dedicated database server, "remote connections" don't exactly exist as all data processing has to be done locally. However as long as you are able to setup either a VPN to the server where the Access file is stored, or even better map the path as a network drive then you should be able to access it without having to download the file first. If you only have FTP access though then it wouldn't be possible.

If all you are using is Jet/ACE, the database that Access normally uses, the other users will at least have to have the drivers, which are free, or if you are working within Access itself, you will need the runtime, also free.

Actually, your terminology you using is wrong. You don't connect to a word file. You don't connect to a power point file.
So you have to keep in mind here you are not really connecting to some text file or mdb file that just happens to be sitting on a hard drive.
You are thus simply opening a file.
I mean it is silly to say we connect to a word file, or we connect to a Power point file. So in the case of the office suite and those basic simple files that resides on the disk drive?
We are talking about plane Jane windows file.
A horse is a horse is a horse.
A file is a file is a file.
So you don't connect to the jpg file sitting on the hard drive, you OPEN the jpg file. So if you talking about your current setup it best to use the correct terminology here. You are not connecting to that Access accDB file, but are in fact opening a PLANE JANE windows file. If you look close at your connection string, it will ALWAYS have a fully qualified windows path name in it that resolves to a file sitting on a folder.
So if you place that file on some server, say web server, then then you still faced with having to open that windows file. This is NOT ANY different than wanting to open a power point file. That means if you going to connect over the internet then you need to EXTEND the windows file system (this means you will need some kind of VPN). At the end of the day, if you cannot use windows networking to browse and open the folder where that file resides, then you cannot open that file with Access (or more specific in your case the JET data engine).
So for example, if the server where the file resides is a non windows box, say Linux, then you need to "add or use" or "install" the windows file and networking system on that box. A common choice in Linux is to install and run Samba on that computer.
Keep in mind that in the case of using SQL server, then you are connecting to a SERVICE running ON THAT server. In this case then you not opening a file on the remote box, but are simply are using a socket (TCP/IP) connection to some service. So you not just opening a silly old windows file that happens to be an accdb file on that system in this case.
So as such when you use FTP or http, these are not real "windows" networking systems that allow you to open + use a plane Jane windows file.
FTP will require the WHOLE FILE to be downloaded local.
PROBLEM!
If the web site or web server has the accDB file open, then how are you going to have the web server CLOSE the file BEFORE you upload and OVERWRITE the file? In other words, if that file is open by the web server, then you should NOT be making a copy and even downloading a copy via FTP until the SERVER AND WEB SITE CLOSES THE FILE! This means you NEED permission to STOP the web server while you do this!
So as such, just keep in mind the concept here that you are NOT connecting to some file, but you are just going to OPEN the file. You need to be able to OPEN the file, and you need to be using the windows networking system to do this open file in the case of Access. I mean, you don't have to install Access(JET) on the target computer. You don't have to install Power Point on the target computer to open a power point file.
You don't have to install word on that system to open a word file.
You don't have to install Excel on that system to open an Excel file.
So you are ONLY opening a file that just happens to be on some other computer.
So the Access database engine and software MUST be installed on your computer (no .exe possible here). You can most certainly package up your application as an installable windows application that then can be installed on each computer. So a free edition of the Access runtime is available, but you still going to have to install that free version of Access on computers that use Access, even if it is the free runtime edition. However, these days, I not really aware of any popular development system that produces just .exe files without requiring a runtime of some kind, be it .net, VB6, Java, or in this case Access – so some kind of support and runtime files are quite much a common requirement in most systems in use today.
So, just keep in mind you are opening a plane Jane windows file.
As such, your path name of http, or FTP is not a allowed windows path name and is not a windows file/networking system. As such a path name has nothing to do with windows networking and opening of a simple file sitting on the hard disk. So HTTP or FTP etc. are not based on windows networking and file system.
I don’t think this basic concept is too hard to grasp, but at the end of the day the concept you need to grasp and learn is that when you open a windows file sitting in a folder on the hard drive, then then will you need the windows file system to open such files. The idea and concept of opening a file in a folder might be new to you, but it is a basic requirement and understanding you need to solve this issue.
As noted, you can consider a VPN, but I explain why such a setup is not going to work in this article:
Using a wan with ms-access? How fast, how far?
http://www.kallal.ca/Wan/Wans.html
(do read the above – as it explains that you CAN open such files over the internet, but ALSO explains that such connections are WAY TOO SLOW! – remember high speed internet is WAY TOO SLOW here for this use!).
I suppose another possibility would be to consider the new web publishing ability that Access has. In the following video note how I switch to running the Access application 100% in the browser. The resulting application does not need any ActiveX or Silverlight. So the web pages run + work fine on my smartphone and even my iPad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU4mH0jPntI
So you can use the new web publishing feature, and that would allow one to use http: to use the application

Creating a stub for editing office documents

I'm looking to create a synchronization mechanism for a document storage service.
The essential idea is that the user downloads a stub file say somefile.stub that contains a link to the file on the server.
When the stub file is clicked on an app on the users machine (associated with .stub) opens up looks in the file and downloads the document from the server in the background.
Once I've got the file locally I'd like to get windows to open up the file in the appropriate editor e.g. word. I really don't want to have to save out the file and then open word or whatever via Process and a command line.
Also, I'd like to be able to grab the document when its saved and send it back to the server to keep everything in synch.
I'd prefer to write the client application in c# if possible.

You have to create a service running continuosly on the client machine, that should orchestrate the stub file transfer and the opening of them. Opening with the proper program can be achieved by using Process with StartInfo.UseShellExecute = true;. You can also use a FileSystemWhatcher to be notified when the external app modify the file.

Here is one solution:
Create a Class 2 WebDAV Server and publish your MS Office documents via it.
In case you target MS Office 2013 you can use the following link to open documents for editing directly from your WebDAV server:
ms-word:ofe|u|http://mywebdavserver.com/path/document.docx
This will eliminate download/upload steps and will work in the SharePoint-like manner. You also do not need to deploy any client application in this case.

How to save .pdf file from server to client side?

I need some suggestion about how to save .pdf file from server to client side. I'm using C# console application to generate pdf file and save in server local c and I manage to do it by using .ExportToDisk(ExportFormatType.PortableDocFormat, report). Now I need to save the file to client side rather than save in server local c because my user aren't allowed to access the server. Appreciate if someone can help me about this. Thanks

Your best option would be to export to a UNC path which the users can access. Don't forget your console application will have to run as a user with write access to the UNC path.

open a file before uploading through file uploader in asp.net

I want to upload an exe to web server from client system through file up-loader and want to run/open that exe before uploading .how can i run/open that exe before uploading it.

Short answer: No way!
If you really want to execute it client side, the user has to do it manually, JavaScript and jQuery are not going to execute an application locally.
if you want to execute it on the server side, you should first upload it to the server.
why are you trying to do this? can you explain a bit your use case?

If you're trying to execute on the server then you'll have to upload it first. Plain and simple.

You cannot make the web client open a file or even access the files because of browser security restrictions. All you can do is access the immediate file name (e.g., file.ext) and file content once the user browses, manually selects the file, and the form submits.
The reason for this restriction is that, if a website could execute files, any site could very easily install malware on a person's machine.
On the other hand, to execute the EXE on the server, it must first be uploaded.