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C# app with a built-in FTP Server

At my work I am writing a C# app, which among its direct functionality should allow user to turn their computer into an FTP server.
Probably it would be more practical to use FileZilla Server, but the I have to aim at really amateur users who are not able to configure FileZilla Server and would like to start an FTP from my soft with one button click.
At the moment I really have no idea, where to start from and asking for some advice.

You need to look towards a win32 app published in the Windows Store. The API of apps won't give you enough priviledge for this.

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

Advice for deploying a C# program with database to work over LAN

I've designed a C# game that makes use of an Access .mdb database file to store variables.
The basic idea is that one of the players will 'host' a game, and the other player will join said game, by connecting to the database, reading and writing items into the database. The database is needed to pass variables to and fro the host and client, and both programs check the database regularly for new messages / variables (yes, yes, I couldn't get TCP/IP Remoting to work).
Now, there, the program works fine (mostly the client, since the host modifies only its local database), for as long as the client can find the database file. Currently, the connection string for the client is located in a .ini file, and for the program to work, it (or at least, the server) must be located in the Shared Documents of an XP machine, or the Public Documents of a Vista / 7 machine.
But then some questions occurred to me:
What if the client user places / installs it into another folder in the Shared / Public Documents? I suppose there's a code out there that could 'drill' into the Shared Documents folders to find the path for the database, share names included... is there?
What about installation? The installer default is always "C:\Program Files\GameName". Could it be set (or locked) to a specific folder into the Shared / Public Documents, by default? And is it even recommended to install it into a Shared Folder, what with problems such as Accidental Deletion?
Say, the default is "C:\Program Files\GameName". I could see that a set installation path will solve any connection issues, since every client will look in the same path of the other computer, and it won't matter if it's XP or Vista. Could "C:\Program Files\GameName" be accessible by a C# program over LAN, without any system modification? Are there any security (UAC?) issues?
P.S. Details that people may find in handy:
I'm using Visual Studio 2005. So is my School.
I'm running .NET framework 2.0. So is my school, and unfortunately, I can't change that.

I hate to tell you this, but this is why the approach is fundamentally flawed. What are you going to do when:
File and print sharing on the server is disabled?
The network client is disabled on a client computer?
The server is configured to only allow authenticated users, and the client doesn't have access?
File and print sharing is blocked because of the firewall?
File and print sharing is completely borked for other who-knows-why reasons?
You need administrator access on the server to share a folder, but the current user is not an administrator?
The Access database engine isn't installed correctly on the server or client?
One of the clients corrupts the database? (This is easier than you might think; all it takes is a network glitch where a client temporarily or permanently disconnects from the server).
These are fundamental issues that you can't resolve with the current solution.
Get it working over normal TCP/UDP ports. You'll have a much easier time. There are libraries to facilitate that, see C# Game Network Library - for example it sounds like Microsoft's XNA SDK has functions for networking in a game. If you use a standard method / standard library to implement networking, your odds of success are much higher. Using a client/server architecture means that the server's state won't be corrupted if a client goofs up.
I realize that this probably involves a significant rewrite. Frankly, I don't think you have a choice if you want this game to be commercially successful on a wide customer base without high support costs, and move beyond being a mere experiment.

Get rid of the access database. The described architecture is already 'user unfriendly'
Use either SQL Express or SQL CE which requires no installed database binaries (they can all be included in the applications folder). This way the db will stay in the applications folder (ideally app_Data) and .Net has included support for databases in this folder.
Please stay away from access you will save yourself a lot of trouble.
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/sqlservercompact/archive/2011/01/12/microsoft-sql-server-compact-4-0-is-available-for-download.aspx

I think that there is little point in using Access unless you wanted to use any of the pretty form-based IO that you can you do with its designer. And I doubt that'll be the case here.
I would encourage you to replace all your file IO with a sound data access layer.
Which will rid you of all the "sharing" issues that you are experiencing, file locks, the overcomplicated installation process, etc.
Alternatively to SQL Server Express as suggested above you could also use SQLite http://code.google.com/p/csharp-sqlite/

C# windows form app that can be accessed within the network

I'm a C# noob and i want to ask if it's possible for this kind of scenario:
I have a windows form app in C#, is it possible i will only install it in 1 computer(as a server) and it can be accessible from all the computers within the network? If it's possible can you please help me what i need to do, any reference/books/tutorials?
I already googled this but i think i can't find the correct 'search word' that's why i didn't get the desired search result.

Yes it is possible. Put the C# executable in a network UNC Path, and you can access it if you create a link on the destination desktops. XP SP 2 and higher by default can run it. If it has .NET 3.0 or 3.5 or 4.0 framework you may need to install the Runtimes for those frameworks, but .NET 2.0 should be fine with XPsp2. All the frameworks are downloadable from Microsoft's site.
Is this a database driven app or just a straight up stand alone?
You don't need any books, it should work just fine. But provide as many details as you can so we can steer you in the right direction.

You may have to do a large code overhaul to do this. Could you simply install it on one computer and remote login to that computer and access it?
You see the thing about network-accessed programs is that they have two parts--a client and a server. It sounds like you just have one piece. You would need to write a program that is a windows form and install it on all the machines. You would then need to write your server code that receives the data from the client over the network.
You would need to know about socket programming. Here is a book introductory tutorial of C# and sockets.
http://www.codeproject.com/KB/IP/socketsincsharp.aspx

I'm not 100% sure what you're asking, but hopefully this covers it. If not, please edit your question to be more specific.
You can generally run a WinForms application from a shared network drive/folder by copying the executable to that drive (and making sure that all users have appropriate access to that network location).
If you use an automatic installer, it should be possible to select a network share as the place to install the software. Automatic installers tend to also put things in the local registry (e.g. create menu items for the program, which go on the local computer always). In that scenario, you would want to create an installer that creates appropriate shortcuts/menu items on the local computer that point to the pre-installed executable on the network share.
You need to take care that the windows forms application doesn't write data to the network share, or if it does, that it does so in a manner consistent with multiple users accessing that data (in other words, keep in mind that all of your users will share that location).

Put it in a shared folder and access either by UNC path or map a drive to that location. You could also map the drive for all users with group policy.
Alternatively you could wrap your app into an MSI and install it via group policy?
Hope this helps :)

You should use a layered approach to your software design. Create a website to give users access to the application from multiple locations. Then create a service layer to give the website access to the desktop functionality that you require. WCF is a good service layer as it allows consumption through HTTP.

Novell Netware 6 and C#

I don't know if anyone has any expertise with Novell Netware or not, but I situation where one of my clients is getting a weird error trying to move a file to a netware share. The situation is pretty complicated but I'll try and outline it as best I can.
1) The application is running as a service
2) The file to be moved is a local file in an accessible location (to the service)
3) The file is being moved with FileInfo.MoveTo().
4) The MoveTo is throwing an IOException and the message is "a device attached to the system is not functioning".
I'm at a loss as to explain what might be happening. On a side note, it seems that running a small test program interactively using the same method (FileInfo.MoveTo) to the same location works fine so it seems to be associated with the service itself.
Any help would be hugely greatful. Thanks.
Kristofor Wilson

That's normal. Windows services need to login to the server separately, like local users do. When you run your program interactively, it accesses the NetWare server using your, already established, connection. To access the server from the service, your program needs to establish its own connection first.
I am afraid I don't know how to login to NetWare from a C# program, and I am not sure if it is possible to set up your service that it does not need to log in to NetWare. I'd explore one of these ways though.
Oh, almost forgot. If a local user has NetWare volumes mapped to disk drive letters in Windows, like SYS: volume to P: and so on, these mapping will not be visible to the service; it will have to map the volumes to letters separately, or use UNC paths

The later (Last versions) of Netware where able to emulate a windows server whilst still functioning as a Netware server. No big deal to set this up so might be an option for you,.