Kind of an IT question: How to get past the Windows "access denied" during copy?

[Joe-Bouza]

I have a *.bat file that I want to copy standard cad files from the server to each users machine and cannot figure out how to by pass the windows watch dog. Here is an example: we have fonts that do not ship with autocad that are on the server and I want to copy to each local %username%  using the following 

xcopy "\\srvcefs01\Software\Autodesk\ACAD SUPPORT\fonts" "C:\program files\autodesk\autocad 2022\fonts"/Y

this gets access denied

I know I could map the font folder on the server in options but I'd prefer to install OOTB and copy the files via email link to the bat file so I don't have to adjust every machines search paths I have the same problem with the QTO files

xcopy "O:\0-SHEET SETS\CE Sheet Set Prototype\QTO" "C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\C3D 2022\enu\Data\Pay Item Data\Getting Started"/Y

yields access denied

I thought it was due to copy from server and successfully copied to a temp folder but still get denied copying from temp to the progams.....folders

[neilyj666]

Do you have write access to that location?

[Jeew-m]

Long path issue?

[Anonymous]

An alternative to copying locally is to use a bootstrap lsp in the local folder (C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 20xx\Support) that loads on start and then points to a second lsp that sets all the options you want for the organization. We do this and set support folders for, among other things, linetype files, printer support folders, default templates, page setup overrides, tool palette path, and certain system variables like LEVELOFDETAILOFF. You can set whatever you want in the second lsp so that everyone is using the same stuff. If you did this you'd have to probably get individual users to copy the acad.lsp to their Support folders to get past Windows.

The following is what our acad.lsp looks like. It points to MWU.lsp where all the settings are:

(princ "nLoading bootstrap version of acad.lsp...")
(setq myFile "M:\\DESIGN\\C3D\\MWU C3D Files\\Autolisp\\Bootstrap\\MWU.lsp")

(setq existing_paths (getvar "TrustedPaths"))
(setq path_2be_added (vl-filename-directory myfile))

(if (and
(findfile myFile)
(not (vl-string-search path_2be_added existing_paths))
)
(progn
(setq existing_paths (vl-string-right-trim ";" existing_paths))
(setq newPaths (strcat existing_paths ";" path_2be_added))
(setvar "TrustedPaths" newPaths)
(load myFile)
); progn
); if

(princ "HAVE A NICE DAY")
(princ)

[AllenJessup]

I don't know the answer either. Although the Long File Path suggestion sounds like it rings true.

Alternatively. You might use something like SyncToy and have it fire off the sync every morning.

[Joe-Bouza]

I am not real knowledgeable  with lisp. Why is it called bootstrap? and does it set the search paths in acad to look on a server?

[Joe-Bouza]

No pure access denied. I can xcopt to any other folder depth besides the C:\program files

[Joe-Bouza]

It seems that no one has write access to C:\Program files

Our IT guys are drawing blanks on this

[Joe-Bouza]

Bummer .... Download no longer available. 

Sounded good too

[rl_jackson]

Joe, as an option couldn't you create the "standards" folder(s) directly on C:\ and just point everything there? I do this with all aspects of support stuff (linetypes, plotters, lisp, SDB, etc... ).

[andrewpuller3811]

You will find the standard behaviour for windows is to have most sub folders of the program files folder set to read only for users.

Your IT department can set the permissions for certain users over certain folders to give them write access.

They can either do it manually using elevated credentials or by group policy. 

I am do not work in IT, but I have had to deal with this issue myself in trying to get files updated to various programmes.

[dougnorton]

I'm going to look into drenaud's solution, but here's what I've been doing since our IT guys started denying access to everybody's machines over the network ...

It's a simple batch file, substitute names as necessary

IF yournamehere=="" GOTO STARTOVER
copy "p:\_acad_support\epc-dot.*" "C:\Users\yournamehere\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\C3D 2020\enu\Support"
copy "p:\_acad_support\PDOT*.PC3" "C:\Users\yournamehere\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\C3D 2020\enu\PLOTTERS"
copy "p:\_acad_support\ADOBE*.PC3" "C:\Users\yournamehere\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\C3D 2020\enu\PLOTTERS"
copy "p:\_acad_support\_CDOT*.CTB" "C:\Users\yournamehere\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\C3D 2020\enu\PLOTTERS\PLOT STYLES"
copy "p:\_acad_support\epc*.dwt" "C:\Users\yournamehere\AppData\Local\Autodesk\C3D 2020\enu\Template"

goto fini
:STARTOVER
ECHO Input Username.
pause
:fini
PAUSE

I called it dotcopyyournamehere dot bat

This copies linetypes, plot styles, plotter configs, and most importantly Templates to where they're needed.

I got blocked twice today trying to post this. It's not dangerous, this knowledge...

Cheers,

[Joe-Bouza]

Hi @dougnorton  this is what I am doing with xcopy. the problem is the font files and QTO files they reside in C:\Progams\..... and windows will not allow things to be written to this location

[AllenJessup]

---

@Joe-Bouza wrote:

Bummer .... Download no longer available. 

Sounded good too

---

Alternatives

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure why it's called bootstrap. And someone from here helped a lot when I implemented it here, I don't know lisp that well either. But given examples I got it to work.

Basically, when a user starts acad it loads acad,lsp which tells acad to also go on the network and load the bootstrap lsp (MWU.lsp in my case). MWU.lsp sets all the options you want to set: support paths, plotter support, templates, etc. etc. You can set anything you want.

The beauty of it is that all the standard files reside on the network. There's only one set of files to maintain. If some path or whatever changes you make the changes to MWU.lsp. Once you get acad.lsp copied to local support folders you never touch that machine again until a new release is installed (then you put acad.lsp in that Support folder). So you keep everyone on the same page and do updates in the background and everyone is always up to date by maintaining just the networked files.

BTW, I know you can write to Program Files if you set permission to Full control through the folder properties. I would try each user going to folder properties (or you if you are logged into the machine) and give themselves/yourself total Full control read/write permissions to the folder. Go to the Security tab, Edit button. IT may have to do this if access is denied.

[AllenJessup]

@Anonymous Bootstrap probably for the same reason that when you Boot your computer is pulling itself up by its own Bootstraps. i.e. "In order to get out of a bad situation you often have to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps"

@Joe-Bouza 

see THIS article

[Anonymous]

I'm pulling myself up by the bootstraps all the time.

As for the Windows Access denied when writing to Program Files, you may first have to take ownership of the folder. Or do it just for Autodesk. After taking ownership, you close the window, re-open it and set permissions to Full control. See https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/fix-access-denied-folders-windows-10/  for more info.

[dougnorton]

Joe, you're right, the copy and xcopy do the same thing. And my routine only takes care of supports type stuff outside of the Program Files level. Now here's where it gets interst frustrating. Even though I am administrator on my machine, I can't do any edits on my own LISP routines that are in

C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2020\Support\en-us

But I can copy them elsewhere, edit them, and then re-copy them back into the Directory. It does the Windows "Are you sure you want to make changes to this Machine?" type thing, but it lets me finish each time.

Now I'm curious if it has to do with manually copying/placing the files versus your xcopy version of doing the same thing.

I had to get three levels of bosses' permissions to get me added as Admin on my team's machines, and there are still directories that I'm not allowed any access to. I do understand your frustrations.

Doug

[Joe-Bouza]

Thanks Doug. Yes a Royal PITA

[chriscowgill7373]

Sorry I'm late to the party, are you running this from a batch file of some sorts?  are you running your command prompt in elevated permission mode? It could just be a windows thing, where normal permissions do not allow copying to the program files or program data location.  If you launch an elevated command prompt (Win+R  type CMD, hold control and shift when you press enter to run it) and paste the lines there, does it still deny access?