A common problem encountered when setting up Serv-U or FTP Voyager Scheduler on a NT, 2000, XP or 2003 system is that by default, the system service runs under the LocalSystem account. This account only exists locally and therefore does not have access to any network resources. If Serv-U or FTP Voyager Scheduler require access to a UNC path, there are two options.

Configuring The Service Account

The best option is to configure Serv-U/FTP Voyager Scheduler to run under a user account that has network privileges to the UNC path. In an Active Directory environment, this user will typically be a member of the Domain Admins group. To change the user account under which Serv-U runs, follow the steps below:

• Navigate to the Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Services | Serv-U File Server (or FTP Voyager Scheduler) | Log on menu
• Change the radio button to "This account"
• Use the "Browse" option select the correct user account in your domain.

  

• Once the correct user is displayed, click "OK" to save the settings
• Restart the service by right clicking on it in the Services window and selecting "Restart"

If you encounter an error, most likely you are encountering a user account issue, which will need to be diagnosed within the properties of the Serv-U File Server / FTP Voyager Scheduler service. The best way to avoid this is to use the Check Name option to make sure that your entry is correct.

NOTE: There is another potential issue to consider when configuring Serv-U to run as a system service. System services cannot recognize mapped network drives by letter. Any network location specified must be placed in UNC format (\\server\share).

Serv-U As An Application Workaround

If it is not possible to run Serv-U as a service under an administrative user account, the workaround is to run Serv-U as an application instead of as a service. To do so, it is necessary to open a command prompt (Start -> Run -> "cmd.exe") and enter the following commands:

C:\>cd C:\Program Files\RhinoSoft.com\Serv-U\
C:\>Serv-U.exe -removeservice

Once this process is completed, shut down Serv-U, exit the Tray Icon, and restart it. This will cause Serv-U to run using the account privileges of the user who started the application, who will typically have the necessary privileges. The drawback to this workaround is that Serv-U must be left running in the foreground, and the user cannot log out of the server without shutting down Serv-U.

UAC Blocks Network Drives

In Windows Vista, User Account Control (UAC, an extra security mechanism) prevents network services from accessing mapped network drives even if they are running as an application. There is no way to bypass this behavior in UAC, so to resolve it UAC must be disabled using the steps at Knowledge Base Article #1679.

Changing The Startup Method In Serv-U 6.x

Serv-U 6.x includes an option to change operation style (Service vs Application) in the << Local Server >> menu - to run Serv-U as an application, simply uncheck the"Start Automatically (System Service)" option.