Folder permissions problems since new Plesk update?

[Will]

Hi there,

I have a Photo album website hosting made using ASP.NET, the website hosting allows users to upload their photos, delete, as well as insert new comments. It has a folder called "UploadedPhotos" where all the photos are stored and it uses a SQL Server to store user accounts and photo and comments records.

This worked fine for 1 month, but today I noticed that when I try to upload a photo it produces this error:

Access to the path 'D:\inetpub\vhosts\somesite.com\httpdocs\UploadedP hotos\25.jpg' is denied.
Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.

Exception Details: System.UnauthorizedAccessException: Access to the path 'D:\inetpub\vhosts\somesite.com\httpdocs\UploadedP hotos\25.jpg' is denied.

ASP.NET is not authorized to access the requested resource. Consider granting access rights to the resource to the ASP.NET request identity. ASP.NET has a base process identity (typically {MACHINE}\ASPNET on IIS Web Server 5 or Network Service on IIS Web Server 6) that is used if the application is not impersonating. If the application is impersonating via <identity impersonate="true"/>, the identity will be the anonymous user (typically IUSR_MACHINENAME) or the authenticated request user.

To grant ASP.NET access to a file, right-click the file in Explorer, choose "Properties" and select the Security tab. Click "Add" to add the appropriate user or group. Highlight the ASP.NET account, and check the boxes for the desired access.

Before it never gave this error, and it would upload a photo to the folder (using FileUpload control's SaveAs method) without any problems. I have not changed any codes or anything.

I asked one of the helpers on LivePerson chat and "Paul" said I have to go to Plesk to change the permission for the folder.

Now my question is, what has happened? I didnt need even need to go to Plesk before and set any Permission, so why do I have to now?

Is it because Plesk was updated a few weeks ago as I remeber? Can one of the admins please help me.

Thank you.

[eUK-Martin]

Hello Will,

You must have had full permissions on the old server, now when the server was upgraded Plesk must have re-checked the permissions on all the sites and must have remove the write permissions.

I have given permissions on your Photo folder and also was able to upload file from the site.

[Will]

Hi Martin,

Thanks for your fast reply,

So I must have had full permission, the thing is I have never gone into Plesk to add any permission until today, so one of the admin must have added it for me when they were helping me before 1 month ago.

There are lots of groups and usernames, in future if I want to do it again for a different folder, which group shall I assign the permissions to?

Plesk IIS Web Server User (IUSR_myUserName) and Plesk IIS Web Server WP User (IWAM_plesk(default))?

And what are the differences between these two groups. Thanks!

[Spencer]

Hi Will,

As you have developed the web pages in ASP.net, so the error is self explanatory. I will elaborate user role for setting the permissions.

ASP.NET User : This is a machine user and normally not required when you run a web site hosting with Plesk control panel. As Plesk uses the application Pool user to run ASP pages.

IUSR_myUserName : This is anonymous user (Web User) who access the website hosting, so to upload the photo on your website hosting, It will also need write permission to be set on Uploaded Photos folder. It handles the connection between your web page and the Server.

IWAM_plesk(default) : This is the user responsible to run ASP applications on the Server, so to upload the photo on your website hosting, this one will need to have write permission on Uploaded Photos folder.

Let us know, if you have any further questions. We will be glad answering them for you.