KBA-01419: Automatic Dashboard Tool Updates require write-access to system resources

Question:

Why do some users get an error after a Spitfire updated is deployed? Why do I get an “Access Denied” message when opening SOV Billing after some updates?

Answer:

On some workstations (particularly shared workstations with tight domain profiles), the current user may not have permission to write updated files. When an updated version of the Spitfire Project Management System is installed on the IIS server and the update includes updates to some of the optional dashboard tools, the optional tools are downloaded on demand (i.e., the first time after each update the user needs the dashboard tool).

If the user does not have write-permission to the Program Files location, the download of the update will fail.

Try installing (or reinstalling) the prerequisites.

Note: the Spitfire Prerequisites installer (Setup This Device) properly configures Windows.

Default locations are:

  • C:\Program Files (x86)\Spitfire

You can provide the user with write-access to these locations. Generally, you would give Modify Access to the Spitfire folder to the Window Built-in Interactive Group.

icacls "C:\Program Files (x86)\Spitfire" /grant "NT AUTHORITY\INTERACTIVE:(M)"
icacls "C:\Program Files (x86)\Spitfire" /grant "NT AUTHORITY\INTERACTIVE:(OI)(CI)(IO)(DE,Rc,GW,GE,RD,WD,AD,REA,WEA,X,RA,WA)"

Other options include local users groups.

Additionally, the very first time each tool is used, its disk path is written to the Windows registry. An administrator can provide for this requirement in one of several ways:

  1. Open each tool once using “Run as Administrator.”
  2. Create a REG file and import/merge it into the registry on each system.
  3. Give Doman users full control over the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Spitfire\Dashboard and/or HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Spitfire\Dashboard

Additional Comments:

The optionally downloaded tools are:

  • Batch Uploader (Uploads TIF and PDF files for batch processing)
  • BFA (Microsoft Excel Budgeting Forecast and Analysis)
  • BPDTool (Microsoft Excel Period Distribution)
  • ImportTool (Data Import Tool, normally used during implementation only)
  • LeadTools (Imaging support, used by Add Files tool and other features)
  • SOVTool (Microsoft Excel Schedule of Values billing)
  • sfChest (Change History Exploration and Search tool)

Registry keys for the tools, with default target folder names:

  • [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Spitfire\Dashboard]
    • ‘DefaultToolPath’=’C:\your-path-here\Spitfire’
    • ‘SOVToolPath’=’C:\your-path-here\Spitfire\SOVTool’
    • ‘ImportToolPath’=’C:\your-path-here\Spitfire\ImportTool’
    • ‘BFAToolPath’=’C:\your-path-here\Spitfire\BFATool’
    • ‘LeadToolsPath’=’C:\your-path-here\Spitfire\LeadTools’
    • ‘BPDToolPath’=’C:\your-path-here\Spitfire\BPDTool’
    • ‘BatchUploadPath’=’C:\your-path-here\Spitfire\Spitfire BatchUpload Tool’
    • ‘ChestToolPath’=’C:\your-path-here\Spitfire\ChestTool’

KBA-01419; Last updated: June 17, 2024 at 19:37 pm; 
keywords= deploy, deployment, codec; self update; interactive group; access denied