Program running as Service cannot access NAS while logged in as User

Question

I have a program that I would like to run as a service. The program requires access to read/write to my NAS. I have changed the service to Log On as my specific user account, in which the username and password match that of the shared NAS drive. This worked up until the recent Windows update. I believe there is an issue with the service editor username/password. When I run the program manually (not within the service window) then it can access the NAS without issue (while I'm logged in as the specific user). But if I run the program using the Services (either automatically on startup, or manually starting it) then it cannot access the NAS.

Answer 1

Did you configure the application to use a drive letter for the NAS or a UNC path (\Servername\Share)? Use a UNC path in case the drive letter is not being mapped. 

Open task manager and find the program in the details tab. Verify that it is running as the user account.

Does the NAS have the equivalent of a security eventlog? Do you see logon errors when the service is started?

Run Process Monitor from http:\www.sysinternals.com and see if you can find any file I/O or network traffic to the NAS. See any errors? 

The drives are mapped using UNC paths.

Within task manager the app is running as my local user correctly.

The NAS event log shows one connection event as successful with the comment " User from [desktop] via [CIFS(SMB3)] accessed share folder". I believe this is the event when I sign into windows, as I've mapped the drive with credentials to automatically log in. So there should be other access events, right? (I'm actually running two similar applications that both should be accessing the NAS). I've stopped the service and restarted it and see no access attempts within the NAS logs. 

I'm a little lost on what I should be looking for with the Process Monitor. I've stopped the Service, cleared the log, then restarted the Service. I see network traffic, but my NAS's local IP address does not appear.

Answer 2

Did you configure the application to use a drive letter for the NAS or a UNC path (\Servername\Share)? Use a UNC path in case the drive letter is not being mapped. 

Open task manager and find the program in the details tab. Verify that it is running as the user account.

Does the NAS have the equivalent of a security eventlog? Do you see logon errors when the service is started?

Run Process Monitor from http:\www.sysinternals.com and see if you can find any file I/O or network traffic to the NAS. See any errors?

Answer 3

My issue is with Services within Windows 10, not with the NAS, not with the application itself. This issue arose after a recent Windows update.

Answer 4

Hi,

Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.

However, for concern/queries related to NAS, let me help to point you in the right direction. I would suggest you to post your query in MSDN Forum where you will find professionals with expertise on NAS and that would be the appropriate forum

Regards,

Aditya Roy

Microsoft Community – Moderator