c# Windows Form where to place xml file (installable)

Question

I have a Windows Form project that saves form fields data into a XML file.

When the form is loaded it loads the XML and bind the data to the fields.

Right now the code for getting the XML file is:

DirectoryInfo di = new DirectoryInfo(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory);
string filePath = Path.Combine(di.FullName, "Data.xml");

if (File.Exists(filePath)) {

    XmlSerializer xs = new XmlSerializer(typeof(ConfigurationModel));
    using(FileStream fs = new FileStream(filePath, FileMode.Open)) {
        // This will read the XML from the file and create the new instance
        // of CustomerData
        model = xs.Deserialize(fs) as ConfigurationModel;
    }
}

It works fine in Development but I just packed everything into a Setup file and when I click on the installed icon I get:

So, I guess I have to change the path where the XML is going to be saved.

Any clue?

Answer 1

You need to either run the program as an administrator (to gain access to the Program Files directory) or save the file elsewhere. A common approach would be to save it in the AppData folder(s). Be aware that if your file is meant to be viewed by users later on, the AppData folders are hidden by default, so you may want to instead save it to the user's specific My Documents folders instead.