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DCOM Permissions

I am trying to run one of our applications through the Windows Scheduler under a specific user account. When I first started I couldn't run it at all. I was getting a message indicating that DCOM didn't have the correct privledges. I set the permissions using dcomcnfg --> default security --> defualt launch permissions & defualt configuration perfermissions. I added domain users to both. I was finally able to get a user to work. Then I tried to setup another user and I am unable to get it to work. I am sure it is related to permissions but I am not sure what.

Here is some background on what is happening with this application:

1. Opens Excel through COM
2. Runs Macros to manipulate the information in the workbook.
3. E-Mails Workbooks out

If the second user has administrative rights everything works fine. If not it errors saying that it is unable to find a macro. I obviously did something different when I setup the first user, but I can't tell what. Everything in active directory is the same for both users.

Rory Archibald

Have you read this article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/288368 ?
Where is the file stored that contains the macro? Perhaps one user has specific file permissions that the other doesn't?
Regards,
Rory

kmcbrearty

ASKER

I looked at a similar article. The macro is stored in a directory in which "Everyone" has full control. If I am logged in as the user everything will work fine. I just can not run it through the Windows Scheduler as that user.

Also one item to note with the article is that I can not get into the properties for Microsoft Excel Specifically. When I try I get a message saying the the operation completed successfully. I don't know if it is related or not since that was the same case when I setup the first user that I was able to get to work. I just can not get the second user to work. At this point though DCOM should be completely open. I default access and default launch permissions set to "Everyone", "Interactive", "Network", and "System" with complete access. The first account still works and the second user account doesn't.

I am sure I did something when I was trying to get the first account to work that is making a difference but I am not sure what it is.

Rory Archibald

And there are definitely no groups that one user belongs to that the other doesn't? No difference in the local permissions either?

kmcbrearty

ASKER

The only group that the users belong to is Domain Users. Ther shouldn't be any difference in the local permissions

Rory Archibald

In my experience "shouldn't be" is not always the same as "isn't" so it may be worth double-checking! :)
Was this the article you read: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/288367/ ?
It indicates that the user should be a member of the Administrators group (though it is unclear if that is merely for install purposes), and that you should open Excel while logged in as the user in question and also open the VBEditor; also, you should install a service configured to run as that account and reboot the machine. Did you do all that for both users?
Regards,
Rory

kmcbrearty

ASKER

Unfortunately I don't rembember which article I read other than that it pointed me to DCOMCNFG. I also know that I didn't add the registry keys before but now they are added. I know that when I setup the first user at some point they were setup as an administrator because I determined that the account could be set as an administrator and everything would work fine. At this point both accounts do not have administrative rights. Execel and VBA has been opened while logged on for both users. Additionally macro security has been set to low and "Trust access to visual basic project" has been checked. I don't have a service configured to run for either account and was unsure what they were referring to. The machine has not been rebooted and we really prefer not to reboot it. I was able to get the first account working without rebooting the machine.

Rory Archibald

To be honest, I don't know what else to look at since I have never had to do this. If I have a chance, I will try and experiment with it at home. It may be that you can only do it for one user on a given machine. (As a matter of interest, why do you want to set it up for more than one user?)
What OS are you running it on?
Regards,
Rory

kmcbrearty

ASKER

We are hosting information for several clients that have workbooks e-mailed to them on a daily basis. The process to e-mail the workbooks uses the clipboard and as a result we can not run more than one process at a time. If we can run it under another user account then we can run them simultaneously and allow us to process more clients without having to purchase a new machine.

It is running under Windows 2000.

Also I did go ahead and restart the machine but it didn't have any effect.

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Rory Archibald

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kmcbrearty

ASKER

I was waiting to see if rorya could come up with a solution. I can go ahead and reward him the points though. We weren't able to find a solution but he did offer a lot of assistance.

Kevin

Rory Archibald

Kevin,
Sorry I wasn't really able to follow this one up. It's not something I can fiddle with at work, and my wife objects to me spending too much time on the computer when I'm at home for some reason... ;) I will let you know if I do discover anything.
Regards,
Rory