FIX: Cannot Deploy Shadow Files to a Live Web Site (237804)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Visual SourceSafe for Windows 5.0
  • Microsoft Visual SourceSafe for Windows 6.0
  • Microsoft Internet Information Server 4.0
This article was previously published under Q237804

SYMPTOMS

Files that are shadowed to a live Web site are not updated.

You may not receive any error messages, or you may receive the following error message:
Error
File path being shadowed to is already open

CAUSE

IIS 4.0 caches files to speed up Web requests. This behavior keeps the file open for 30 to 60 seconds. During this time, if a shadow occurs, that file is locked and cannot be updated.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Visual SourceSafe 6.0. For additional information, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/ssafe/downloads/sp/default.asp

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a bug in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was first corrected in Visual SourceSafe 6.0 Service Pack 6.

MORE INFORMATION

This problem occurs because Internet Information Server (IIS) version 4.0 locks the file open in the Web browser. The shadow command cannot write to the file because the file has a handle already open. If you try the shadow command 60 seconds later, it will succeed.

Steps to Reproduce the Behavior

  1. In the Visual SourceSafe Administrator, create a shadow folder for any Visual SourceSafe project that is a Web site on a server running IIS 4.0. Click to select the Set read-only flag for all files check box.
  2. Shadow files to the Web site.
  3. Open one of the shadowed files in a Web browser through the URL (for example, http://webserver/test.htm).
  4. Check out and then edit that file in Visual SourceSafe by using any editor (such as Notepad).
  5. Check in the edited file.

REFERENCES

184956 Problems Deleting Files Under Internet Information Server

138344 HOWTO: Set Up a Shadow Dir in Visual SourceSafe Administrator

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:9/23/2005
Keywords:kbHotfixServer kbQFE kbSSafe600fix kbfix kbBug kbinterop KB237804 kbAudDeveloper
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