Access files from .NET Windows Service

[Tom]

Is it possible to access (Read via StreamReader) an external file from
a Wndows service? I.E. In the OnStart method of the service, I need to
go out and read a couple of external files (and these files appear on a
differnet server and are accessed via a UNC syntax - i.e.
\\server\share\myfile.txt). I tried this under my VB.NET service but it
keeps telling me that I have an unauthorized file access when my
service starts up)

Thanks.

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[Izzy]

Sounds like a permissions issue. I'd create a user accout for the
service to use and give this user read\write permissions to the share.

Israel

 

[Tom]

Hmm... that is kinda ugly... Is there a way that I can simply add the
system account (the one the service is currently running under) to the
share's read/write permissions?

 

[Izzy]

I've got 2 or 3 windows services and some other apps that need to
access network drives and databases. I find it easy to have them all
run under the same user account "Robot".

But if you don't want to go that route then just change the folders
permissions to allow anyone to read and write.

But if security is an issue, I'd set up a user account.