PRB: Visual Studio Analyzer Configuration Problems (196756)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Visual Studio, Enterprise Edition 6.0
This article was previously published under Q196756

SYMPTOMS

  • When using Visual Studio Analyzer to create a new project on Windows NT, you receive an unexpected error, such as:
    Visual Studio Analyzer is unable to connect to the machine. Ensure that it is powered, connected to the network and that the server-side components have been installed.


  • You cannot run Visual Studio Analyzer at all.

  • You receive many errors from VALEC.exe, usually Access is Denied errors or General Protection Faults.

CAUSE

Visual Studio Analyzer installation procedures create a new user account called VUSR_<machine>, for example, VUSR_DEVELOP001 if your computer is named DEVELOP001.

This user account is used in some of the system services that Visual Studio Analyzer runs to collect performance information from your applications when it analyzes them.

If this user account does not have the correct access permissions, Visual Studio Analyzer fails in various places. The correct permissions are that all of the files it needs to access are readable and executable by the Everyone user group.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, do one of the following:
  • Add the VUSR_<machine> user account to the Administrators group, or some other group that can provide execute permissions on files in the Visual Studio Analyzer directories and the %SYSTEM%\System32 directory.
  • Replace the permissions of the directory \Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio so that the VUSR_<machine> account has permission to run programs and read/write log files. If you use the Windows NT Explorer, this procedure might change other permissions set in this directory (this is normal behavior).

STATUS

This behavior is by design. This problem only arises if the default directory access permissions for Visual Studio or its associated products are changed on a computer where the components reside on an NTFS partition.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce the Behavior

  1. In Windows Explorer, go to the \Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio folder.
  2. Right-click on the folder, click Properties and click the Security tab.
  3. Click Permissions and use the dialog box to disallow the VUSR_<machine> user from accessing this directory.
  4. Run Microsoft Visual Studio Analyzer and create a project.

REFERENCES

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

192661 PRB: Error: Valec.exe - Invalid Current Directory

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:10/2/2003
Keywords:kberrmsg kbprb kbsetup KB196756
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.