Sitecore 10.1.0 Unicorn 4.1.5.0 Helix Project Setup - Access to the path '$(sourceFolder)\Foundation\Serialization\serialization' is denied.

Error:

Server Error in '/' Application.

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Access to the path '$(sourceFolder)\Foundation\Serialization\serialization' is denied.

Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.

Exception Details: System.UnauthorizedAccessException: Access to the path '$(sourceFolder)\Foundation\Serialization\serialization' is denied.

ASP.NET is not authorized to access the requested resource. Consider granting access rights to the resource to the ASP.NET request identity. ASP.NET has a base process identity (typically {MACHINE}\ASPNET on IIS 5 or Network Service on IIS 6 and IIS 7, and the configured application pool identity on IIS 7.5) that is used if the application is not impersonating. If the application is impersonating via <identity impersonate="true"/>, the identity will be the anonymous user (typically IUSR_MACHINENAME) or the authenticated request user.

To grant ASP.NET access to a file, right-click the file in File Explorer, choose "Properties" and select the Security tab. Click "Add" to add the appropriate user or group. Highlight the ASP.NET account, and check the boxes for the desired access.

Source Error:

An unhandled exception was generated during the execution of the current web request. Information regarding the origin and location of the exception can be identified using the exception stack trace below.

Stack Trace:

[UnauthorizedAccessException: Access to the path '$(sourceFolder)\Foundation\Serialization\serialization' is denied.] System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath) +435 System.IO.Directory.InternalCreateDirectory(String fullPath, String path, Object dirSecurityObj, Boolean checkHost) +1436 System.IO.Directory.InternalCreateDirectoryHelper(String path, Boolean checkHost) +98 Rainbow.Storage.SerializationFileSystemDataStore.InitializeRootPath(String rootPath) +346 Rainbow.Storage.SerializationFileSystemDataStore..ctor(String physicalRootPath, Boolean useDataCache, ITreeRootFactory rootFactory, ISerializationFormatter formatter) +236 lambda_method(Closure , Object[] ) +246 Configy.Containers.MicroContainer.Activate(Type type, KeyValuePair`2[] unmappedConstructorParameters) +841 Unicorn.Configuration.<>c__DisplayClass8_0.<RegisterConfigTypeInterface>b__3() +41 System.Lazy`1.CreateValue() +734 System.Lazy`1.LazyInitValue() +189 Unicorn.Data.ConfigurationDataStore.RegisterForChanges(Action`2 actionOnChange) +19 Unicorn.Data.DataProvider.UnicornDataProvider..ctor(ITargetDataStore targetDataStore, ISourceDataStore sourceDataStore, IPredicate predicate, IFieldFilter fieldFilter, IUnicornDataProviderLogger logger, IUnicornDataProviderConfiguration dataProviderConfiguration, ISyncConfiguration syncConfiguration, PredicateRootPathResolver rootPathResolver) +549 lambda_method(Closure , Object[] ) +402 Configy.Containers.MicroContainer.Activate(Type type, KeyValuePair`2[] unmappedConstructorParameters) +841 Configy.Containers.MicroContainer.Resolve() +110 System.Linq.WhereSelectArrayIterator`2.MoveNext() +145 System.Linq.Buffer`1..ctor(IEnumerable`1 source) +284 System.Linq.Enumerable.ToArray(IEnumerable`1 source) +90 Unicorn.Data.DataProvider.UnicornSqlServerDataProvider..ctor(String connectionString) +222 [TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.] System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethod(Object target, Object[] arguments, Signature sig, Boolean constructor) +0 System.Reflection.RuntimeConstructorInfo.Invoke(BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture) +223 Sitecore.Reflection.ReflectionUtil.CreateObject(Type type, Object[] parameters) +119 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.CreateFromTypeName(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert) +128 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.CreateObject(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert, IFactoryHelper helper) +163 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.CreateObject(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert) +72 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.CreateObject(String configPath, String[] parameters, Boolean assert) +703 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.CreateFromReference(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert) +170 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.CreateObject(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert, IFactoryHelper helper) +116 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.CreateObject(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert) +72 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.GetConstructorParameters(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert) +161 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.CreateFromTypeName(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert) +114 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.CreateObject(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert, IFactoryHelper helper) +163 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.CreateObject(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert) +72 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.GetInnerObject(XmlNode paramNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert) +842 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.AssignProperties(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Object obj, Boolean assert, Boolean deferred, IFactoryHelper helper) +545 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.CreateObject(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert, IFactoryHelper helper) +326 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.CreateObject(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert) +72 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.CreateObject(String configPath, String[] parameters, Boolean assert) +703 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.GetDatabase(String name, Boolean assert) +157 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.GetDatabase(String name) +55 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.GetDatabases() +121 Sitecore.Data.SqlServer.SqlServerLinkDataProviderFactory.CreateProvidersForAllDatabases() +161 [TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.] System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethod(Object target, Object[] arguments, Signature sig, Boolean constructor) +0 System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.UnsafeInvokeInternal(Object obj, Object[] parameters, Object[] arguments) +269 System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.Invoke(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture) +146 Sitecore.Reflection.ReflectionUtil.CallStaticMethod(String typeName, String methodName, Object[] parameters) +165 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.CreateFromFactoryMethod(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert) +534 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.CreateObject(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert, IFactoryHelper helper) +91 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.CreateObject(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert) +72 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.GetConstructorParameters(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert) +161 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.CreateFromTypeName(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert) +114 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.CreateObject(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert, IFactoryHelper helper) +163 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.CreateObject(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert) +72 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.CreateObject(String configPath, String[] parameters, Boolean assert) +703 Sitecore.Configuration.DefaultFactory.GetLinkDatabase() +36 Sitecore.DefaultGlobals.Load() +294 (Object , Object ) +55 Sitecore.Pipelines.CorePipeline.Run(PipelineArgs args) +490 Sitecore.Pipelines.DefaultCorePipelineManager.Run(String pipelineName, PipelineArgs args, String pipelineDomain, Boolean failIfNotExists) +236 Sitecore.Pipelines.DefaultCorePipelineManager.Run(String pipelineName, PipelineArgs args, String pipelineDomain) +22 Sitecore.Nexus.Web.HttpModule.Application_Start() +146 Sitecore.Nexus.Web.HttpModule.Init(HttpApplication app) +898 System.Web.HttpApplication.RegisterEventSubscriptionsWithIIS(IntPtr appContext, HttpContext context, MethodInfo[] handlers) +584 System.Web.HttpApplication.InitSpecial(HttpApplicationState state, MethodInfo[] handlers, IntPtr appContext, HttpContext context) +168 System.Web.HttpApplicationFactory.GetSpecialApplicationInstance(IntPtr appContext, HttpContext context) +277 System.Web.Hosting.PipelineRuntime.InitializeApplication(IntPtr appContext) +369 [HttpException (0x80004005): Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.] System.Web.HttpRuntime.FirstRequestInit(HttpContext context) +532 System.Web.HttpRuntime.EnsureFirstRequestInit(HttpContext context) +111 System.Web.HttpRuntime.ProcessRequestNotificationPrivate(IIS7WorkerRequest wr, HttpContext context) +724

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Version Information: Microsoft .NET Framework Version:4.0.30319; ASP.NET Version:4.8.4330.0

Solution:

In my case, the sourceFolder variable wasn't present. In other words, the Habitat project has this config file located within the project folder. The config file must be deployed to <web app root>\App_Config\Environment\Project and the path must point to the source folder, in my case - C:\projects\MySitecoreSln\src under which the feature, foundation and project folders are present