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Error: 'Access denied' when opening the GFI MailEssentials configuration

Author: Luis Fernandes

Answer

PROBLEM

You receive the following error when opening the GFI MailEssentials configuration:

Access denied to 'C:\Inetpub\Wwwroot' directory. Failed to start monitoring directory changes.

Or

Access denied to 'C:\Inetpub\Wwwroot\web.config'. Failed to start monitoring directory changes.


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.Web.HttpException: Access denied to 'D:\wwwroot\web.config'. Failed to start monitoring file changes.

ENVIRONMENT

  • GFI MailEssentials 
  • all supported environments

SOLUTION

The ASP.NET user account requires read, execute, and list permissions to the GFI MailEssentials web site.
  • GFI MailEssentials : <GFI\MailEssentials\WwwConf>
Note that the ASPNET account may have a different name depending on the operating system that you are using:
  • On Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4 ( non Domain Controller ) and Windows XP, it is <machinename>\aspnet
  • On Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4 ( Domain Controller ), it is <domainname>\iwam_<machinename>
  • On Microsoft Windows 2003, it is network service

Note:

More information on this is found on the following Microsoft knowledgebase article

CAUSE

This issue occurs since ASP.NET does not have read, execute, and list access for the ASPNET account on the GFI MailEssentials Web site. ASP.NET cannot access the content files nor monitor file changes.