Wednesday, December 28, 2016, 11:19:24 PM, you wrote:

> On windows systems, if you create a database without path specification,
> firebird tries to create it in the windows/system32 directory.

No; it will use the current directory, e.g.,
C:\windows\Programs64\Firebird\Firebird_2_5\bin
in my setup for 2.5.6 on Windows 10 because I created the test
database in isql, while that directory was current. It would be
strange if windows/system32 were the current directory for a CREATE
DATABASE operation. Are you using some tool that is installed in that
directory?

> In FB2.5.x, you cat set the DatabaseAcces configuration parameter in
> firebird.conf, and then this is used instead of windows/system32.
> However, this feature seems to be lost in FB3.0 ... or there is another
> way to specify the default path for new databases?

It seems you have missed some steps. On 3.0.1 on my 64-bit Win 7 box
it works exactly as it should. Did you do all the steps?

1. Edit firebird.conf (it won't work in databases.conf):

Default
# DatabaseAccess = Full

Change to
DatabaseAccess = Restrict e:\databases;$dir_sampleDb

2. Save firebird.conf

3. Go to the Services applet and restart the Firebird 3 server - MUST DO THIS!!!

4. In Firebird 3 root directory:

isql -user blah -password blahblah

5. CREATE DATABASE 'TEST123.FDB';

6. CREATE TABLE TEST1 (ID BIGINT, DATA VARCHAR(25));

7. Look in e:\databases: you will find TEST123.FDB there, as it is
the first location defined for DatabaseAccess.

HB