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Windows 7 WebDAV bug

Offline stefan

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Windows 7 WebDAV bug
« on: June 03, 2012, 11:58:12 AM »
Hello, i've a Problem with Windows 7 (and 8, at least the public Release-Preview) and DAV:
The DAV-contrib works as described in http://wiki.contribs.org/DAV#Accessing_a_DAV_enabled_ibay with Windows XP, Linux, NetBSD, OSX etc. But it doesn't work with Windows 7, because of a bug that's already a known issue to Microsoft (see: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2560598). They don't seem to view this as important, since the same bug exists in Windows 8 (till now). The workaround they suggest is not an option for my clients (the trouble with the network-drives and security-warnings, not remembering credentials and warning at startup, etc. is to much, they can't handle it. Also: it is incredible slow and instable). So i tried to put an ibay with DAV enabled as content into the Primary ibay (by means of server-manager, the Domain-section), which solves part of the Problem: Now Windows 7 can do as described in the DAV-contrib howto. But the shares i want my clients to access are done with the SharedFolders-contrib (http://wiki.contribs.org/SharedFolders) because i want per user rights and ssl/https encrypted password transfer. If i simply connect an ibay to be the contents of Primary with the server-manager, i have the ibay-name and password as auth, and at least no https as default-option. Also: if i enable DAV for that ibay (that's to workaround the Windows-bug), my users can modify it, and i don't want that.
So it comes down to this question: can i connect a SharedFolder (done with the contrib) as content of Primary?
Or: does anybody know a better solution, e.g. somehow enabling DAV for Primary but with write-access for nobody?
Hopefully that was understandable, sry for the bad english.

s.

Offline janet

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Re: Windows 7 WebDAV bug
« Reply #1 on: June 03, 2012, 06:33:17 PM »
stefan

Quote
does anybody know a better solution...

Use webshare contrib, does that do what you want ?
Please search before asking, an answer may already exist.
The Search & other links to useful information are at top of Forum.

Offline stefan

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Re: Windows 7 WebDAV bug
« Reply #2 on: June 04, 2012, 02:48:29 AM »
Thanks for the Tip -- but i did it by other means now. There's nothing about what technology the Webshare-contrib uses on the site. Is it a php-thing?
Here's my solution, doesn't fit everybodys needs perhaps, but for me it's ok:
I use the workaround Microsoft suggests, but not by means of their ever-warning etc. graphical interface, so my clients don't get nervous. Instead i installed a batch-file on the client-machines, with a nice-looking icon to start, that connects without reconnecting at next logon, and disconnects when called a second time, and connects again when doubleclicked again, etc. That's something they can handle. The file looks like this:
Code: [Select]
echo off

set usr=USER
set pwd=PASSWORD

if exist DRIVELETTER: goto drop

goto connect

:connect

net use DRIVELETTER: https://URL/FOLDER /user:%usr% %pwd% /persistent:no

goto end

:drop

net use DRIVELETTER: /d

:end
Windows 7 (and 8) still produce scary warnings about untrusted files when moving anything from the server to the workstations by drag+drop, but curiously doesn't produce any warnings when moving by copy+paste. I can't get rid of the warnings without seriously corrupting security on the client systems. But main use is the other way: writing something and uploading it. Also: Windows doesn't handle DAV like it should be: transparent for applications, with locking handled correctly to be able to work directly on the files stored on the server. But LibreOffice does, so i configred my clients LibreOffice-Installations to do so. It's ugly, but i hope to get my clients to use Linux or OSX when Windows 8 will hit the markets. I'm pretty sure that's a shock for the average user. Xubuntu or even Arch with whatever desktop or Windowmanager will make them feel at home compared to that ugly thing. But perhaps i'm wrong.

s.

Offline stefan

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Re: Windows 7 WebDAV bug
« Reply #3 on: June 04, 2012, 03:11:33 AM »
Ok, that's to funny not to mention: My problem arises from an OS trying to guess what a user wants instead of behaving like a tool. So is this forum. As i write Windows 8 in brackets it looks like this: (Windows 8)
But that's not a complain, thanks for the great work on SME, just a little hit by what Hegel calls "Weltgeist" (German Philosopher from last century).

s.

Offline cactus

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Re: Windows 7 WebDAV bug
« Reply #4 on: June 04, 2012, 09:43:49 PM »
Ok, that's to funny not to mention: My problem arises from an OS trying to guess what a user wants instead of behaving like a tool. So is this forum. As i write Windows 8 in brackets it looks like this: (Windows 8)
That is because that is the shorthand for a smiley with subglasses. There are some workarounds: either put a space between the 8 and the closing bracket or expand the "attachments and other options" panel below the edit box and check the checkbox: "Don't use smileys".
Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than its worth ~ Baz Luhrmann - Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)