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File permission issues in SolidWorks

We have recently have upgraded our network infrastructure by adding a Buffalo TeraStation RAID drive to give us a TeraByte of (cheap) storage. I am storing all my machining fixtures and raw billet models on this drive and I have full administrator permissions. When I try to include a model stored on this network drive in an assembly, SolidWorks rejects it saying "Unknown file type. Cannot be opened in SolidWorks" yet if I copy the model over to my local C drive, SolidWorks opens it without a stutter.

I have checked the properties of the file on the network storage and it shows "Read" & "Write" and any other files on that drive such as Word documents, AutoCAD drawings, even executables all oopen from the remote location.

Our IT person (an outside contractor who also supplied the drive) has given up saying that it is a SolidWorks issue.

Does anyone have any experience of similar happenings?

What is SolidWorks looking for that this drive cannot supply?

Any ideas welcome. I ask here before getting our SolidWorks reseller involved because I am sure that they will also wash there hands of it saying that the network storage is at fault.

Bob Luck

Reply to
Robert Luck
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What version of SW? Are you on a domain? Did SW write/move the files to the Buffalo? What are all the permissions on the files on the Buffalo? Who is the owner of the files? Can you have SW create a part on the Buffalo and then have that file included in your assembly? Can you create an in context part in the assembly and have it work?

TOP

Reply to
TOP

Thank you for coming back so quick

I am running SW2007 Sp2.

The computer is part of a Workgroup (I am not sure what you mean by a domain).

All the files on the Buffalo have read/write permissions - the options for modify etc are greyed out and, according to our IT person, are not supported by the unit.

I am the owner of all the files. They were created on my old PC in SW2006 / SW2005 / SW2004 over the last 3 years and moved en-masse to the Buffalo at upgrade. There are about 600 of the buggers and my skills in VBA are not up to opening each on and doing a "Save As" as a macro.

I can save a part created locally to the Buffalo and also an assembly. Both these files open fine and I can edit parts within the assembly in context, so I am drawn to the conclusion that the cause of my problems lies in the mass data transfer. What I am hoping for is a simple parameter setting which allows me to open my legacy data and allow others to use it.

Bob Luck

Reply to
Robert Luck

There are a couple tools your IT guy could use to see what is really happening. One is Filemon. With that he can observe the actual file transactions taking place with the Terabyte. Just out of curiosity, does Word work to the NAS?

Reply to
TOP

Thank you for that, I'll pass it on.

Word, Excel and all the other programs on my PC will open files stored on the Buffalo, only SolidWorks gets picky and declines.

Thanks again.

Bob

Reply to
Robert Luck

Try mapping the network folder containing the SolidWorks files. It may be a problem with the path to the network drive having too many characters.

Just a wild guess, but worth a try.

John Layne

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Reply to
John Layne

Robert,

At Keller Swartwood Engineering here in Portland, Oregon

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use a Buffalo TeraStation RAID 5 to store all of our SolidWorks and other project files. It works rather well, although the file access seems to slow SolidWorks down a bit. If you let your IT person know that the system is working for other companies, they may have the enthusiasm to look deeper and try to determine the cause.

S> We have recently have upgraded our network infrastructure by adding a

Reply to
Thomas Gray

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