Access to the Path is denied.how to handle this?

[Konda_Sai_Charan_Goud]

Hi,

I’ve deployed a bot into production, and initially, it ran without issues. However, it’s now throwing an ‘Access to the path is denied’ error for an online shared drive path. I’ve confirmed that access permissions are correct. Can you help me troubleshoot this?

Thanks in Advance

[ashokkarale]

@Konda_Sai_Charan_Goud,

Check if file path and file name are getting refactored incorrect full file path.
for example:

Correct file path
C:\Temp\myfile.xlsx

Incorrect file path:
C:\Temp\my\file.xlsx

If your file path or part of the directory path is dynamic, always log what’s being used.

Check if file path is correct.

Thanks,
Ashok

[vrdabberu (Varunraj Dabberu)]

Hi @Konda_Sai_Charan_Goud

Open the path manually through the VM from which you are running the bot and check if you are able to OPEN without any error and if you are able to open the manually then please follow the steps suggested by @ashokkarale

Regards

[Konda_Sai_Charan_Goud]

Hi, thanks for the suggestion. But the issue not with the Paths. I have double checked it. The paths are proper and the same bot is now working fine when i am running it as attendee mode from the assistant but facing this issue when i m running it from from orchestrator as an unattended mode. fYI, its a unattended bot.

[Konda_Sai_Charan_Goud]

@vrdabberu , hi , as i mentioned in the post.der is no issues with the access…i have tried accessing it manually and it is working fine but with the bot run , i am facing that error

[lchirathapudi (Pallavi Chirathapudi)]

HI @Konda_Sai_Charan_Goud ,

Try adding Path Exists activity and pass the path you are facing issue with , and check if it is giving true or not.

Thanks,
Pallavi.

[Konda_Sai_Charan_Goud]

Hi @lchirathapudi . The current error is at the path exists activity

[Kanak_Lata_Singh]

Hi @Konda_Sai_Charan_Goud

Please refer this thread , hope it helps

"access to path is denied" - when running the bot on Orchestrator

Is your unattended robot that is failing operating from a different server with a different active directory or service account credentials than the first one? Not sure how you have your architecture set up. If so, your second robot may not have rights in Active Directory to this path.

[ashokkarale]

@Konda_Sai_Charan_Goud,

Try logging the user name from unattended bot using system.Environment.UserName. I feel the bot is using user id which don’t have access to the file location.

Thanks,
Ashok

[duytoi]

Certainly! The “Access to the path is denied” error can be tricky, especially if permissions appear to be correct. Here are some steps to help troubleshoot and resolve the issue:

1. Verify Access Permissions

Even though you’ve confirmed the permissions, double-check the following:

• Ensure the bot’s user account has read/write access to the shared drive path.
• Verify the bot’s user account can manually access the shared drive from the machine where the bot is running.

2. Check Network Connectivity

Ensure there are no network issues or connectivity problems with the shared drive:

• Test accessing the shared drive from the machine manually to ensure it’s reachable.
• Ensure there are no intermittent network issues.

3. Ensure Path Exists

Verify that the path exists and the bot is trying to access the correct location:

• Ensure there have been no changes to the path or the shared drive structure.
• Manually navigate to the path using the bot’s user account.

4. Check for File Locks or Other Processes

Another process might be locking the file or directory:

• Ensure no other application or process is using the file or directory the bot is trying to access.
• Use tools like Process Explorer to check if any process has a lock on the path.

5. Bot Execution Context

Check the execution context of the bot:

• Ensure the bot runs with the correct user context that has access to the shared drive.
• If running as a service, ensure the service is configured to use the correct user account.

6. Verify Path Length and Format

Ensure the path is not too long and is formatted correctly:

• Windows has a maximum path length of 260 characters.
• Ensure the path is not using unsupported characters.

7. Check Event Logs and Detailed Error Logs

Review the detailed logs and Windows Event Logs for additional clues:

• Look for specific error messages or codes in the bot’s logs.
• Check Windows Event Viewer for any related errors or warnings.

8. Antivirus and Security Software

Sometimes, security software can block access:

• Check if any antivirus or security software is blocking access to the path.
• Temporarily disable security software to see if the issue persists.

9. Re-map the Shared Drive

If accessing a mapped network drive, re-map it:

• Sometimes re-mapping the shared drive can resolve access issues.
• Use a UNC path (\\server\share) instead of a mapped drive letter if possible.

10. Update and Re-deploy the Bot

If the issue started after a change or update:

• Roll back any recent changes to the bot or environment to see if that resolves the issue.
• Ensure all components and dependencies are up to date.

Example Troubleshooting Code Snippet

If you’re using UiPath to access the shared drive, here’s a sample code snippet to help troubleshoot the issue by attempting to access the path programmatically:

try
{
    // Replace with your actual shared drive path
    string sharedDrivePath = @"\\server\share\path";
    
    // Check if directory exists
    if (Directory.Exists(sharedDrivePath))
    {
        // Attempt to create a test file
        string testFilePath = Path.Combine(sharedDrivePath, "testfile.txt");
        File.WriteAllText(testFilePath, "Test content");
        
        // If successful, delete the test file
        File.Delete(testFilePath);
        
        Console.WriteLine("Access to the shared drive is working correctly.");
    }
    else
    {
        Console.WriteLine("The specified path does not exist.");
    }
}
catch (UnauthorizedAccessException ex)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Access to the path is denied: {ex.Message}");
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"An error occurred: {ex.Message}");
}

[Konda_Sai_Charan_Goud]

Hi @Kanak_Lata_Singh

Can you help me where i can find this “Process runs in background” option?

[ashokkarale]

@Konda_Sai_Charan_Goud,

If your process is background process then user id would be different. Check if it’s background from project property.

Thanks,
Ashok

[Kanak_Lata_Singh]

Hi @Konda_Sai_Charan_Goud

Could you please check if you are using any activity specific to background processes, I mean like Simulate Type etc…

More info on background process

Studio - Background Process

Also you can change the settings in Project level , by going in Project settings and toggling the setting “Starts in Background” as mentioned by @ashokkarale .

Also usually microsoft office tools like Excel, Word etc . might not work properly when used with Background process because they need user interactions and sessions.

Hope it guides you.

Thanks

[Kiran-Kishore (Kiran)]

This is what worked for me:
Deleting the folder (not just the file) that is giving issues and recreating it again.