Wish list: Let TMG use standard Windows' folders for temp. data

[Arman 0]

TMG uses the (default) Windows XP folder "c:\Program Files\The Master Genealogist\" for storage of temporary and/or user-dependent data at run-time. This was normal in the old Windows versions 3.11 up to Windows 95, but it is considered as a large security vulnerability in the versions in use these days.

This implies namely that any user must have write access to this folder. This is not a normal situation. For security reasons, by default only administrators are allowed to write (and install) here.

 

The current situation is causing many problems in a multi-user environment as Windows XP. It also makes that user settings are shared.

 

In Windows there are various folders available in the root "c:\Documents and Settings\", accessible by means of Windows system variables. Local data per user may be for example stored in "\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Local Settings\Application Data\".

 

I hope that Wholly Genes will change soon this according to current standards.

Edited October 27, 2005 by Arman

[Jesper 0]

TMG uses the (default) Windows XP folder "c:\Program Files\The Master Genealogist\" for storage of temporary and/or user-dependent data at run-time. This was normal in the old Windows versions 3.11 up to Windows 95, but it is considered as a large security vulnerability in the versions in use these days.

This implies namely that any user must have write access to this folder. This is not a normal situation. For security reasons, by default only administrators are allowed to write (and install) here.

 

The current situation is causing many problems in a multi-user environment as Windows XP. It also makes that user settings are shared.

 

In Windows there are various folders available in the root "c:\Documents and Settings\", accessible by means of Windows system variables. Local data per user may be for example stored in "\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Local Settings\Application Data\".

 

I hope that Wholly Genes will change soon this according to current standards.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

This is strange. Which run-time files are you referring to? In my installation, the session related runtime files are located in "..\Local Settings\Temp" in a seperate directory. Every individual session has its own set of runtime files. Are you installing on a non-english version of Windows XP?

 

Jesper

[Arman 0]

Hello Jesper,

 

Sure this is strange. I'm using Windows XP Pro, the USA version. The TMG installation is standard. I saw the TMG... folder in "..\Local Settings\Temp". Perhaps the program uses more than one place to put the temporary files.

 

TMG will not run for non-admin users at all, it then reports access problems. These are over as soon as the folder security of "c:\Program Files\The Master Genealogist\" is changed.

In the meantime I found that the problem only occurs for a non-admin user.

 

Specific files in the ".../Program Files/..." folder are _restore.log, app.ini, REPEAT.CDX, STRINGS.CDX, <many>.lo, vcfwanc.vcc, vcfwhour.vcc.

Edited October 27, 2005 by Arman

[Jesper 0]

Hello Jesper,

 

Sure this is strange. I'm using Windows XP Pro, the USA version. The TMG installation is standard. I saw the TMG... folder in "..\Local Settings\Temp". Perhaps the program uses more than one place to put the temporary files.

 

TMG will not run for non-admin users at all, it then reports access problems. These are over as soon as the folder security of "c:\Program Files\The Master Genealogist\" is changed.

In the meantime I found that the problem only occurs for a non-admin user.

 

Specific files in the ".../Program Files/..." folder are _restore.log, app.ini, REPEAT.CDX, STRINGS.CDX, <many>.lo, vcfwanc.vcc, vcfwhour.vcc.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The files you list as being used in ../Program Files/.. are data files used by TMG to control and store appearance, language and - surely - your data during and between sessions. I am not sufficiently knowledgeable about security issues to comment your concerns, but most applications I use, have data files open during execution!?

 

Jesper

[Arman 0]

Please note that TMG, using the program folder as it does now, will certainly not run on the coming Windows Vista. This is becasuse, for security reasons, the access rights of normal users are even more restricted than in Windows XP.

Edited January 9, 2006 by Arman

[Jim Byram 0]

Arman,

 

Using WinXP... I'm wondering if the issues are being encountered because the installation in Program Files is an 'all users' installation rather than an installation for the specific user.

 

I experimented with my 'single user' installation in Program Files running my user with non-admin rights and manipulated various files in the program folder with absolutely no problem. (tried app.ini, repeat files, webother.txt, the Sample project, etc.)

 

On the other hand, with an 'all users' installation in Program files, it was completely unusable by a single user since none of the non-static configuration and data files could be changed by the non-admin single user.

 

If WinVista locks down program Files for even single user installations, then there will need to be changes. This is a non-trivial issue since many of the non-static files in the program folder are used by all users. In addition, static files can be added by the user to the program subfolders such as frames and graphics.

 

Jim

Edited January 11, 2006 by Jim Byram

[RGC 0]

FWIW, the need to access information in ..\program files\... from outside TMG is the reason I have chosen to install TMG in a separate folder (C:\TMG\). That's one way around the problem at the present.

 

BUT I do agree that ANY program should permit the user to identify a place where *all* operational data is to be kept - perhaps defaulted to the Documents and settings folder for the user involved. Eudora does a nice job of this, as does Second Site (although the latter defaults to the program files area).

 

Dick