1 katalon studio enterprise or free for several users

Web Testing
2

Root Cause: When Katalon Studio updates drivers (e.g., msedgedriver.exe), it sets file permissions that restrict access to only the user who performed the update, causing java.nio.file.AccessDeniedException errors for other users trying to access or update the same drivers.

Recommended Solutions

Solution 1: Use Project-Level Drivers (BEST for Multi-User Shared Installations)

This is the most scalable and recommended approach for your scenario. Instead of relying on application-level drivers (which are shared and cause permission conflicts), configure drivers at the project level:

Steps:

  1. Create the project-level driver structure in each project:

    • Navigate to your project folder: <Project Folder>\Include\drivers\

    • Create subdirectories for each browser:

      Include\drivers\edgechromiumdriver_win64\
Include\drivers\chromedriver_win64\
Include\drivers\geckodriver_win64\

  2. Download and place drivers in the appropriate folders:

  3. Place the executable in the correct location:

    Include\drivers\edgechromiumdriver_win64\msedgedriver.exe
Include\drivers\chromedriver_win64\chromedriver.exe
Include\drivers\geckodriver_win64\geckodriver.exe

  4. Restart Katalon Studio - it will automatically use project-level drivers instead of application-level ones.

Advantages:

  • Each project has its own drivers, eliminating permission conflicts
  • Drivers are version-controlled with the project
  • Each user can work independently without affecting others
  • Scales easily to multiple users and projects

Reference: Katalon Documentation - Replace a WebDriver

Solution 2: Fix File Permissions on Application-Level Drivers (Temporary Fix)

If you must use application-level drivers, fix the permissions issue:

Steps:

  1. Navigate to the driver folder:

    C:\Katalon\packages.katalon\packages\KS-10.1.0\configuration\resources\drivers\edgechromium_win64\

  2. Fix permissions for all users:

    • Right-click the edgechromium_win64 folder → Properties → Security tab
    • Click Edit → Select Users group
    • Check the following permissions:
      • :white_check_mark: Modify
      • :white_check_mark: Read & Execute
      • :white_check_mark: List Folder Contents
      • :white_check_mark: Read
      • :white_check_mark: Write
    • Click Apply → OK

  3. Apply to all subfolders and files:

    • Right-click the folder → Properties → Security → Advanced
    • Click Change Permissions
    • Select the Users entry and check Replace all child object permissions
    • Click Apply → OK

  4. Restart Katalon Studio for all users

Important: This is a temporary workaround and may need to be repeated after each driver update.

Solution 3: Run Katalon as Administrator (Quick Fix)

According to the Katalon Community Forum, running Katalon as Administrator can resolve permission issues:

  1. Right-click Katalon Studio → Run as Administrator
  2. Update WebDrivers via Tools > Update WebDrivers
  3. Other users should then be able to access the updated drivers

Limitation: This only works if the user running the update has admin privileges, and may not fully resolve multi-user access issues.

Solution 4: Disable Antivirus/Windows Defender Temporarily

According to the Katalon Community, antivirus software can sometimes interfere with driver updates:

  1. Temporarily disable Windows Defender or your antivirus
  2. Update WebDrivers
  3. Re-enable antivirus protection

Key Considerations

Aspect Application-Level Drivers Project-Level Drivers
Shared Installation :cross_mark: Causes permission conflicts :white_check_mark: No conflicts
Multi-User Support :cross_mark: Problematic :white_check_mark: Recommended
Scalability :cross_mark: Difficult to scale :white_check_mark: Scales easily
Version Control :cross_mark: Not tracked :white_check_mark: Tracked with project
Maintenance :cross_mark: Requires manual fixes :white_check_mark: Self-contained

Implementation Recommendation

For your 3-developer shared VM setup, I strongly recommend Solution 1 (Project-Level Drivers):

  1. Immediate action: Delete the application-level drivers folder as you’ve been doing
  2. Long-term solution: Configure each project to use project-level drivers
  3. Benefit: Each developer can work independently without permission conflicts, and drivers are versioned with the project

This approach eliminates the need for manual permission fixes and scales seamlessly as your team grows.

References