CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#.netapp-config
CathalMF
CathalMF

Reputation: 10055

Modifying App.config in Program Files directory

Kind of a two part issue.

I developed an app which reads from and writes to an App.config. The application is installed in Program Files by my MSI installer.

It works fine on my Win7 computer but I have users on Win7 that get Access Denied when writing to this App.config.

I am writing to the app.config using the below code:

Configuration config = ConfigurationManager.OpenExeConfiguration(ConfigurationUserLevel.None);
config.AppSettings.Settings["Endpoint"].Value = endpointTxtBox.Text;
config.Save(ConfigurationSaveMode.Modified);

  1. Why don't I get this issue on my development pc? I have tried both with a local admin and normal local user account.

  2. How do I relocate the App.config to an unprotected directory?

Upvotes: 2

Views: 3301

Answers (2)

Matthew Schaad
Matthew Schaad

Reputation: 653

I had a couple of other ideas, if what you need to do really is let the user modify the global application settings for all users.

  1. Externalize some of your configuration by using the configSource attribute. You store the entire appSettings section, for instance, in a separate file by doing this:

    <appSettings configSource="....\file.config" />

    Here are the docs for that feature: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms228154(v=vs.85).aspx

  2. I believe you can manually load a config file anywhere you want using the System.Configuration.ConfigXmlDocument class. Construct one using the no-arg constructor and then call its Load(String filename) method.

  3. Store your configuration in the registry rather than the filesystem by implementing a custom SettingsProvider.

Upvotes: 0

Matthew Schaad
Matthew Schaad

Reputation: 653

Cathal, You should not have to move the app.config in order to let your users save their application settings; .NET already has support for saving user-scoped app settings in user-writable storage baked in! You can even specify the default user settings in the app.config file.

Check this link for details:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/8eyb2ct1(v=vs.110).aspx

Note that making use of a strongly-typed .NET Settings class rather than the raw, more weakly-typed AppSettings NameValueCollection. (The settings can still stored in the app.config, though.)

You can create a Settings file in VS (the template is called "Settings file" in VS).

A couple of things confused me about Settings files at first, so I thought I would point them out to you:

1) First: the .settings file. The VS designer lets you define your app settings, their types, and their scopes (i.e. user or application). This is the file the designer modifies when you user the designer, but runtime configuration changes will never be written to this file. It defines your app settings and their default values. That's it. I didn't get that at first when I was trying to wrap my head around Settings files.

Also, notice that the build action on the .settings file is set to SettingsSingleFileGenerator.

2) The .designer.cs file. VS/MSBuild generates this file at build-time for you because the build action on the .settings file is set to SettingsSingleFileGenerator. The class that it generates is a strongly typed wrapper for your configuration properties, and you can use it equally well for your application-scoped and user-scoped properties.

3) The runtime settings that your Settings class wraps are still stored in the app.config.

4) User settings are stored underneath that user's AppData\Local directory so that they have full read/write permissions.

Upvotes: 2

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