Hi, I'm having some more Excel job woes.

It seems that there's a bug in the Excel - Create task where, when creating an Excel file with the source file being on a network share it either requests an incorrect path, or doesn't actually use the provided credentials for reading the source file.

I created a job with a set of test steps. All steps use the same credentials, which has full access to the network share in question.

1. Write a set of comma separated values from a variable to a local text file - OK
2. Create an Excel file in a local directory from the text file created in step 1 - OK
3. Create an Excel file on a network share from the text file created in step 1 - OK (proving that the credentials have write access to the network share)
4. Write the values to a text file on a network share - OK
5. Read the values from the file created in step 4 - OK (proving that the credentials have read access to the file)
6. Create an Excel file on the network share from text in a variable. - OK
7. Create an Excel file in a local directory from the file created in step 4 - Error, "Exception in Task: Access to the path \\server\share\ is denied."
8. Create an Excel file on the network share from the file created in step 4 - Error, "Exception in Task: Access to the path \\server\share\ is denied."

The problem is defintely the Credential, either the user or the settings. First you need to uncheck "local logon" in the Credential.

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Local logon is unchecked and the credential has the correct access. All the listed test cases use the same credential. If the credential didn't have access to the share, steps 3-6 would fail as well.

I can use write an excel file to the share with the Excel-Create task if I source the data from a variable or a file on a local disk.
I can read the file I want to source the data from if I use the File-Read task, but not if I use the Excel-Create task.

Local logon is unchecked and the credential has the correct access. All the listed test cases use the same credential. If the credential didn't have access to the share, steps 3-6 would fail as well.

I can use write an excel file to the share with the Excel-Create task if I source the data from a variable or a file on a local disk.
I can read the file I want to source the data from if I use the File-Read task, but not if I use the Excel-Create task.

Do you write to the exact same folder?

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Yes. The directories are in a job variable that gets used in each task.

I exported the job and attached it. You'll have to change the credential (in each step) and the networkFolder job variable. Please tell me if you get a similar error.

  CreateExcelJob.zip (5kb) downloaded 66 time(s).

I exported the job and attached it. You'll have to change the credential (in each step) and the networkFolder job variable. Please tell me if you get a similar error.

  CreateExcelJob.zip (5kb) downloaded 66 time(s).

Does it work if you hard code the path?

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No, same error.

I checked with Process Monitor and this is the error it shows.

Time: 13:39:43.2197047
Process: VisualCronService.exe
Operation: CreateFile
Path: \\server\share\vctest\
User: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
Result: ACCESS DENIED
Detail: Desired Access: Read Data/List Directory, Synchronize, Disposition: Open, Options: Directory, Synchronous IO Non-Alert, Attributes: n/a, ShareMode: Read, Write, Delete, AllocationSize: n/a

I did some more testing and added a List File(s) task. That task succeeded, with this entry in ProcMon:

Time: 14:22:50.0356408
Process: VisualCronService.exe
Operation: CreateFile
Path: \\server\share\vctest
User: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
Result: SUCCESS
Detail: Desired Access: Read Data/List Directory, Synchronize, Disposition: Open, Options: Directory, Synchronous IO Non-Alert, Attributes: n/a, ShareMode: Read, Write, Delete, AllocationSize: n/a, Impersonating: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM, OpenResult: Opened

It seems that even though a credential is specified in the Create Excel task, it doesn't actually use it when reading the source file. Note the lack of an Impersonating: entry in the details from the Create Excel step.

Another difference is the lack of a trailing \ in the path for the operation generated by List Files. I don't know if that matters though.

And you are sure you use the same Credential in the file filter? As you did not export the Credentials I could not verify.

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Yes.

Here's the step which writes a text file to the remote share:


Next step which reads the file again (just to test read access)


The step that's supposed to create the excel, which fails on reading:


Doing a quick grep through the exported jobs.xml shows the same credential ID used everywhere as well.

One problem could be that you combine different parameter separators. Either use pipe or comma.

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I've been using what the variable selector gives me.

But as you can see in the third image above, the step that fails only uses a single variable. The two steps that have nested functions/variables are working.

I think we need to share the screen with you to determine why. Please go to https://join.me  and click Start meeting and send us the 9 digit number to support@visualcron.com

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Solved in 7.6.7

Thank you!

I am experiencing the same issue, running version 8.1.2

The Excel-Set cell task appears to have problems accessing a file on a network share. I am using the same credential that is used on other tasks to access the same directory, bu the Excel-Set task always throws an "Access to path XXXX denied" error.

When configuring the task and using the "Test" function in the "File Filter" tab, the filter successfully sees the file. When using the Test function without a credential specified, I get the same access to path denied error. So it definitely seems to be an issue that the Excel-set task process is not utilizing the specified credential.

I am experiencing the same issue, running version 8.1.2

The Excel-Set cell task appears to have problems accessing a file on a network share. I am using the same credential that is used on other tasks to access the same directory, bu the Excel-Set task always throws an "Access to path XXXX denied" error.

When configuring the task and using the "Test" function in the "File Filter" tab, the filter successfully sees the file. When using the Test function without a credential specified, I get the same access to path denied error. So it definitely seems to be an issue that the Excel-set task process is not utilizing the specified credential.

Thank you for your report. This has now been fixed in this build: http://www.visualcron.co....aspx?g=posts&t=6772 

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I am using 8.3.2 build 15880. Getting the same error