Invalid folder location. Unable to access this location

Error Message

When attempting to register a folder in ArcGIS for Desktop or ArcGIS Server Manager, the operation fails and returns the following error:

"Invalid folder location. Unable to access this location."

Cause

There are several possible reasons for this issue:

• The ArcGIS Server account is unable to access the location specified.
• When an absolute path is used instead of a UNC path to register a folder present on one of the ArcGIS Server machines in a multi-machine site. For more information about paths, refer to the following web help document, ArcGIS Help: Paths explained: Absolute, relative, UNC, and URL.
• The desired folder for registration and ArcGIS for Server are on different machines.
• The desired folder for registration is on a domain controller for Active Directory. Local accounts cannot be created on a machine with an Active Directory domain controller, so explicit permissions cannot be granted to the local ArcGIS account, preventing the registration process. For more information about domain controllers, refer to the following web help document, ArcGIS Help: Configuring the domain controller used by ArcGIS Server.

Solution or Workaround

Use one of the following options to solve this issue:

• Ensure that the location is accessible to ArcGIS Server.
  • Check that the correct folder path has been entered.
  • Verify that the location specified is accessible on the machine running ArcGIS Server. For more information, refer to the following web help document, ArcGIS for Server Help: Make your data accessible to ArcGIS Server.
  • Modify the security of the folder to permit at least read access for the ArcGIS Server account. For more information, refer to the following Microsoft Help page, Microsoft: File and Folder Permissions.
• Use the UNC path to register the folder. For more information on path types, refer to the following web help document,  ArcGIS Help: Paths explained: Absolute, relative, UNC, and URL..
• Create an identical ArcGIS for Server user account on the machine where the folder is located, and grant the sharing and security permissions to the ArcGIS for Server account in the folder. For more information on creating an account and setting permissions, refer to the following web help documents:
  • Installing ArcGIS for Server: Create a site
  • ArcGIS Server Help: Make your data accessible to ArcGIS Server
• Register the folder on a different machine than the Active Directory domain controller machine.