title: linked server to excel permissions
body: <p>Ok, I give up, I have no clue and I desperately need help. Normally I loath excel for storing data but... what can you do?</p>
  
  <p><strong>What I want to do:</strong></p>
  
  <p>Allow user to get data from .xls file via stored procedure and linked server (using Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0)</p>
  
  <p><strong>Tthe problem:</strong></p>
  
  <p>User gets error:</p>
  
  <pre><code>OLE DB provider "Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0" for linked server "LS" returned message
    "The Microsoft Access database engine cannot open or write to the file ''.
    It is already opened exclusively by another user,
      or you need permission to view and write its data.".
  Msg 7303, Level 16, State 1, Line 1
  Cannot initialize the data source object of OLE DB provider
    "Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0" for linked server "LS".
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Administrator runs <code>select * from LS...[data$]</code> and gets full rowset</p>
  
  <p><strong>What I did:</strong></p>
  
  <p>I gave the user permissions to temp in SQL service account directory.<br>
  User has full control over the file to which linked server is connected.</p>
  
  <p><strong>What I am sure of:</strong></p>
  
  <p>File is NOT opened by another user.</p>