Difference between revisions of "FZ UAC"

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'''Author's note: If you find errors (especially if you are native English speaker), you are allowed to correct them anytime. Also, I don't claim to be a Vista/7 expert, therefore if there are wrong statements or conclusions, by all means, correct them. It will help to improve this document. Use the Edit links at the right.'''
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Furrleaz? That's marvelously good to know.
 
 
=User Account Control, filesystem virtualization and its impact on Filezilla=
 
 
 
Check that off the list of things I was cnofuesd about.
 
 
 
==Example==
 
You have a HTML editor which is from pre-Vista era, called WebEd.
 
 
 
WebEd is installed in ''C:\Program Files\WebEd'' and saves the pages into ''C:\Program Files\WebEd\publish''.
 
 
 
Your Windows user account is named '''foo''' and you're using the English language version.
 
 
 
The recent Filezilla version is installed for FTP transfers.
 
 
 
 
 
You fire up WebEd and create your page, consisting of an index.html and a few images. You're satisfied with your work and save it.
 
Now you want to transfer it to the server. Launching Filezilla, navigating to the 'publish' directory, you find it empty. What has just happened?
 
 
 
 
 
In the moment WebEd tried to save the file to ''C:\Program Files\WebEd\publish'', the request was caught and redirected by the UAC.
 
 
 
Your files have instead been saved to ''C:\Users\foo\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\WebEd\publish''.
 
 
 
 
 
You can of course transfer the files from this directory.
 
 
 
==What problems could arise?==
 
Filesystem virtualization is applied to pre-Vista programs without a proper manifest that are started in non-administrator mode. Following is a list of possible problems that could arise now or later:
 
 
 
===The older application is updated and the new version includes a manifest===
 
In this case (as with Filezilla) the program suddenly won't use filesystem virtualization anymore. This will leave the user totally confused about where his files have gone.
 
 
 
===UAC is disabled===
 
Power users do this to restore the old XP behavior. All pre-Vista programs are affected! They could 'lose' saved files, configuration files and data stored directly into previously protected parts (and thus redirected to the VirtualStore).
 
 
 
 
 
===Programs are started as administrator===
 
Pre-Vista applications started as administrator will not have filesystem virtualization applied and seem to 'lose' any data saved into protected paths and redirected to the VirtualStore by the same application started in non-administrator mode.
 
 
 
==What can I do to solve this?==
 
1. Use the latest, Vista/7-aware versions of your applications wherever possible.
 
 
 
2. Don't save your data into protected directories. Redirect your app to save into an unprotected path.
 
  Example: Create a directory ''C:\publish'' and save your webpage there.
 
 
 
3. Disable UAC. This is not recommended as it effectively turns off the advanced security mechanisms implemented in Vista/7.
 
 
 
4. Don't use Vista. ;)
 
 
 
  Generally, look into the ''C:\Users\<yourusername>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore'' directory. You will find all redirected data there.
 

Revision as of 19:47, 30 June 2011

Furrleaz? That's marvelously good to know.