GlobalSettings.xml: Error Code 5: Access is denied

Posts: 5 · treyands 10 Nov 2012, 01:17

FreeFileSync 5.9 gives an error message if it can't write to GlobalSettings.xml.

Posts: 7280 · Zenju 12 Nov 2012, 19:30

Indeed.

Posts: 5 · treyands 3 Dec 2012, 00:21

I was hoping this would be fixed in the next release. The problem is still there in 5.10.

Posts: 7280 · Zenju 3 Dec 2012, 00:26

Showing an error message about an erroneous situation is not a bug... it's precisely what a well-behaved app should do.

Posts: 5 · treyands 3 Dec 2012, 00:48

Then I need to make a feature request for FFS to not show an error message when FFS is run on ReadOnly media or if GlobalSettings.xml is set to ReadOnly?

Posts: 141 · srjones67 3 Dec 2012, 02:09

FFS is behaving exactly as it should. If it can't write to GlobalSettings.xml how would you be able to use the application at all? It also begs the question if it's read only how did you get it installed in the first place? This would not be a wise feature request to program around your network/PC restrictions.

Posts: 5 · treyands 3 Dec 2012, 06:59

FFS used to support this. Many people run FFS on a CD and don't need or want to update GlobalSettings.xml every time they run FFS.

Posts: 141 · srjones67 3 Dec 2012, 11:54

I don't understand why you would run this from a CD.

Posts: 7280 · Zenju 3 Dec 2012, 12:41

We should distinguish "ends" from "means". It's understandable to want some kind of "default" configuration, but "abusing" the readonly flag and hiding an error message (which is vital to debug other more complicated scenarios) is not the right way to go.
The question is, why is it so important to have a fixed configuration. IOW why is it not acceptable to just load this configuration (single mouse button click) via FFS's config list.

PS: this applies to both GlobalSettings.xml and LastRun.ffs_gui

Posts: 5 · treyands 8 Dec 2012, 06:24

Let's not use the readonly flag then. Can you add an option to not update GlobalSettings.xml when the application is closed? That is a legitimate feature.

Posts: 1 · jgricourt 8 Feb 2013, 15:41

I am a new FFS user and I found out that this pb has not been resolved in 5.12 version. FFS attempt to write to a directory named "Program Files" which automatically translates to "Programmes" in my french localized version of Windows 7. In order to solve the issue I had to remove the default writing restrictions on the FFS installation directory.

Posts: 7280 · Zenju 8 Feb 2013, 16:36

This is not a FFS problem, but Windows design: Applications beginning with Vista do not have access to "program files" anymore unless they have admin rights. Using FFS's local installation is the proper solution.