Directory changes for FDCC compliance (IM)

The Federal Desktop Core Configuration (FDCC) is a security standard mandated by the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Although most PowerBuilder files install by default to Program Files\Sybase subdirectories, write access to these subdirectories is typically restricted to administrative users. Therefore, to meet the FDCC requirements, in PowerBuilder 11.5 and later, all writable files are installed, copied, or created in directories where standard users have write access.

FDCC constraints on certain PowerBuilder features (IM)

Several PowerBuilder features might still require write access to Program Files\Sybase subdirectories, or require the ability to add a system printer. For example, to save a DataWindow to a PDF file, you must first copy the PSCRIPT.DLL, PSCRIPT.NTF, and PS5UI.DLL files to the Program Files\Sybase\Shared\PowerBuilder\drivers directory, and you must install the Sybase Datawindow PS printer. This must be done by an administrator before a standard user can save a DataWindow to a PDF file.

When using remote debugging on an FDCC-configured desktop with the Windows Firewall set to on, the connection to the server fails if pb115.exe is not included in the list of firewall exceptions at the domain level. To use remote debugging under these circumstances, you must add pb115.exe to (or select PowerBuilder 11.5 from the program list for) the list of domain-level firewall exceptions.

Files shared by all users (IM)

As part of its FDCC compliance configuration, PowerBuilder installs writable files that are shared by all users in the C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Sybase\PowerBuilder 11.5 directory on Windows XP and Windows 2003, and in C:\Users\Public\Documents\Sybase\PowerBuilder 11.5 on Windows Vista and Windows 2008. These files include:

  • The EASDemo databases (easdemo115.db and easdemo115u.db)

  • All Code Examples directories and files

  • The PowerBuilder Windows Help and compiled HTML Help files

  • The Translation Toolkit directories and files

For InfoMaker, writable files shared by all users are installed in the C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Sybase\InfoMaker 11.5 directory on Windows XP and Windows 2003, and on Windows Vista and Windows 2008, in C:\Users\Public\Documents\Sybase\InfoMaker 11.5. This includes the:

  • InfoMaker Windows Help and compiled HTML Help files

Files reserved for individual users (IM)

Other writable files are installed in the default Program Files\Sybase subdirectories, but are copied to different locations the first time a user starts PowerBuilder or InfoMaker. In this way, each PowerBuilder or InfoMaker user gets a private copy of these files.

Table 1 lists the files that are copied and updated in the directories of all users who run an instance of PowerBuilder or InfoMaker. The path variable in the table header (UserName) stands for the user name of a PowerBuilder or InfoMaker user. For Windows XP and 2003, this is under the C:\Documents and Settings directory. For Windows Vista and 2008, this is under the C:\Users directory.

In C:\...\UserName\ subdirectory Files copied or updated

On Windows XP and 2003: Local Settings\Application Data\Sybase\PowerBuilder 11.5

On Windows Vista and 2008: AppData\Local\Sybase\PowerBuilder 11.5

  • Initialization files (PB.INI, PBLAB115.INI, PBODB115.INI)

  • License files (PB115.LIC, pb115_sysam.properties)

On Windows XP and 2003: My Documents\Sybase\PowerBuilder 11.5\Tutorial

On Windows Vista and 2008: Documents\Sybase\PowerBuilder 11.5\Tutorial

  • Files for the PowerBuilder Getting Started tutorial

On Windows XP and 2003: Local Settings\Application Data\Sybase\InfoMaker 11.5

On Windows Vista and 2008: AppData\Local\Sybase\InfoMaker 11.5

  • Initialization files (IM.INI, PBLAB115.INI, PBODB115.INI)

  • License files (IM115.LIC, im115_sysam.properties)

On Windows XP and 2003: My Documents\Sybase\InfoMaker 11.5\Tutorial

On Windows Vista and 2008: Documents\Sybase\InfoMaker 11.5\Tutorial

  • Files for the InfoMaker Getting Started tutorial


The locations of writable PowerBuilder files reserved for individual use are set in HKEY_CURRENT_USER registry entries for each PowerBuilder user. For example, the location of the PB.INI file that is copied to each user's local application data directory is registered under the registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Sybase\ PowerBuilder\11.5\InitPath.