Error 70 - ?entire subfolder structure affected.

[Owen English]

A shared folder on a reasonably large network running my .EXE has the following directory/folders:
S:\MINDEXii.DAT
S:\MINDEXii.DAT\LOGS
S:\MINDEXii.DAT\LOGS\620001
S:\MINDEXii.DAT\LOGS\620002
S:\MINDEXii.DAT\LOGS\620003

The top-level folder S:\MINDEXii.DAT contains .DAT files frequently accessed by multiple workstations.

The individual sub-folders eg: S:\MINDEXii.DAT\LOGS\620001 are only each accessed by one workstation (named 620001 thru 629999).

Here's the query: when the top-level folder .DAT files in S:\MINDEXii.DAT are being accessed, all sub-folders appear to be locked and concurrently trying to access eg: S:\MINDEXii.DAT\LOGS\620001 returns error 70. Is the file or the entire folder that gets locked? It appears to be the top-level folder and every sub-folder below that.

Not a problem on XP-Pro or W7 - only a problem with W10 - consistently over many W10 workstations.

[Stuart McLachlan]

The first thing that strikes me is the dot in the folder name. While not illegal, it may be causing issues somewhere with WIn10's handling of locking.
Also, is the file server runnng Windows (if so, what version) or some *nix variant?


Added: Note that dots are not valid in Azure Share names - so maybe MS have done something in WIn10/11 to deal with that and that has messed things up.

[Mike Doty]

Using different file channels get no error, but there are no other users.
Only thing I can think of is to write a little test program and keep expanding on it.
Possibly a missing SHARED clause, a missing UNLOCK or using wrong channel?

Possibly not using ERRCLEAR in a network environment before attempting to open a locked file in a loop.

Only problem with Win 10, maybe a file locked out by virus checker? That is strange.
Might check the read/write permissions of each folder. Change to Everyone and mark all.

FUNCTION PBMAIN AS LONG

 LOCAL s1,s2 AS STRING

 MKDIR "\mindexii.dat"
 MKDIR "\mindexii.dat\logs"
 MKDIR "\mindexii.dat\logs\620001"
 
 ERRCLEAR
 OPEN "\mindexii.dat\test.dat" FOR BINARY AS #1
 IF ERR THEN ? "Open error":EXIT FUNCTION
 s1 = TIME$
 PUT #1,1,s1
 IF ERR THEN ? "put error":EXIT FUNCTION
 GET #1,1,s1
 IF ERR THEN ? "get error":EXIT FUNCTION

 OPEN "\mindexii.dat\logs\620001\test.dat" FOR BINARY AS #2
 IF ERR THEN ? "Open error":EXIT FUNCTION
 s2 = TIME$
 PUT #2,1,s2
 IF ERR THEN ? "put error":EXIT FUNCTION
 GET #2,1,s2
 IF ERR THEN ? "get error":EXIT FUNCTION

 ? USING$("&&&",s1,$CRLF,s2),,"No error"

END FUNCTION

[Mike Doty]

>Is the file or the entire folder that gets locked?
Should only be the file in your open statement or lock statement.

'Lock a file at top level while writing to $LogFile.  Tested on Windows 10/11.
'Create directory structure using MakeSureDirectoryPathExists (thanks Stuart)
'If this doesn't run on your system then this can be used to find the error.  Modify h drive.

#DIM ALL
$LogFile = "h:\mindexii.dat\logs\620001\log.txt"
#INCLUDE "win32api.inc"
GLOBAL gcs AS CRITICAL_SECTION
DECLARE FUNCTION MakeSureDirectoryPathExists LIB "IMAGEHLP.DLL" ALIAS "MakeSureDirectoryPathExists" (DirPath AS ASCIIZ) AS LONG

FUNCTION SystemErrorMessageText (BYVAL ECode AS LONG) AS STRING
  LOCAL Buffer AS ASCIIZ * 255
  FormatMessage %FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM, BYVAL %NULL, ECode, %NULL, buffer, SIZEOF(buffer), BYVAL %NULL
  FUNCTION = FORMAT$(ECode, "#####") & Buffer
END FUNCTION

FUNCTION PBMAIN AS LONG

 LOCAL users,result,e,threadnum,hthread,h,linecounter AS LONG
 LOCAL sdirectory AS STRING

 InitializeCriticalSection gcs

 users = 3 'thread for each user

 sdirectory = "h:\mindexii.dat\logs\620001\"             'the string must end with a backslash
 result = MakesureDirectoryPathExists(BYCOPY sdirectory)
 IF result = 0 THEN
  e = GetLastError:? sdirectory + $CR + SystemErrorMessageText(e),%MB_ICONERROR,"ERROR: Could NOT create folder"
  EXIT FUNCTION
 END IF

 OPEN "h:\mindexii.dat" FOR OUTPUT AS #1  'lock a file at top level

 FOR threadnum = 1 TO users
  THREAD CREATE LogThread(threadnum) TO hThread
  SLEEP 1
  THREAD CLOSE hThread TO hThread
 NEXT
 DO
  SLEEP 50
 LOOP UNTIL THREADCOUNT = 1

deletecriticalsection gcs
 h = FREEFILE 'optionally verify log
 OPEN $Logfile FOR INPUT AS #h
 FILESCAN #h, RECORDS TO linecounter
 REDIM TheData(1 TO linecounter) AS STRING
 LINE INPUT #h, TheData() TO linecounter
 CLOSE #h
 ? JOIN$(TheData(),$CRLF)
END FUNCTION

THREAD FUNCTION LogThread(BYVAL threadnum AS LONG) AS LONG
 LOCAL h,attempt AS LONG
 EnterCriticalSection gcs
 h = FREEFILE
 FOR attempt = 1 TO 10
  OPEN $Logfile FOR APPEND AS #h 'exclusive lock
  IF ERR = 0 THEN EXIT FOR
  SLEEP 100
 NEXT
 IF ERR THEN
  ? "Could not open logfile in thread" + STR$(threadnum),,"ERR"+STR$(ERR)
 ELSE
  PRINT #h, USING$("&:&",TIME$,"Hello from thread"+STR$(threadnum))
 END IF
 CLOSE h
 LeaveCriticalSection gcs
END FUNCTION

[Eric Pearson]

Owen, are you saying that if you open a file like S:\MINDEXii.DAT\MyFile.txt with PB, files like S:\MINDEXii.DAT\LOGS\620001\TheirFile.txt are being locked?

Added: Windows is 100% fine with dots (even multiple dots) in file and folder names, but, of course it can confuse software that assumes that the only dot is the file extension.

[Michael Mattias]

My imagination, or
????

[Stuart McLachlan]

Owen, are you saying that if you open a file like S:\MINDEXii.DAT\MyFile.txt with PB, files like S:\MINDEXii.DAT\LOGS\620001\TheirFile.txt are being locked?

Added: Windows is 100% fine with dots (even multiple dots) in file and folder names, but, of course it can confuse software that assumes that the only dot is the file extension.

Is it a OneDrive or Sharepoint?

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/restrictions-and-limitations-in-onedrive-and-sharepoint-64883a5d-228e-48f5-b3d2-eb39e07630fa#invalidcharacters

This article contains information about the restrictions and limitations that apply to files, file names and file types when syncing with OneDrive for home, OneDrive for work or school or SharePoint in Microsoft 365.

Characters that aren't allowed in file and folder names in OneDrive for work or school
~ " # % & * : < > ? / \ { | }.

[Owen English]

Is it a OneDrive or Sharepoint?

No. Although I have no control over the servers, I believe they are Windows 2022 servers.

[Owen English]

Owen, are you saying that if you open a file like S:\MINDEXii.DAT\MyFile.txt with PB, files like S:\MINDEXii.DAT\LOGS\620001\TheirFile.txt are being locked?

Added: Windows is 100% fine with dots (even multiple dots) in file and folder names, but, of course it can confuse software that assumes that the only dot is the file extension.

Correct, only one file appears readable at a time at any level within S:\MINDEXii.DAT\. I am circumnavigating the issue by trapping error 70 and trying again, ultimately this works but the endless error 70's need to be resolved.

[Mike Doty]

Is the open statement mode shared?
Is the file closed after each usage?

[Owen English]

Is the open statement mode shared?
Is the file closed after each usage?

Yes and yes.
The issue is that other users are properly accessing one file within the folder yet all files in the folder (and below) then return 70 until the other user/s have done. In other words, the entire folder is being locked by a simple rw.

[Mike Doty]

https://superuser.com/questions/117902/find-out-which-process-is-locking-a-file-or-folder-in-windows

Is Advanced security settings set to full control?
Does the owner of the account exist?

[Stuart McLachlan]

No. Although I have no control over the servers, I believe they are Windows 2022 servers.

Sounds like an issue that should be taken up with the server administrators. I doubt that its a PB issue at all.
At least they will be able to see what is going on and why the locks are being applied.

[Eric Pearson]

What software is creating/maintaining the .dat files? Is it managing them in real time?

[Dale Yarker]

While the dot is legal, it makes everything to the right look like file extension if parsing the path from the right.

INSTR(-1, str, ".")
then
INSTR(-x, str, "\") 'next character start of file name
INSTR(-y, str, "\") 'next character start of lowest folder name
((examples in post 1 do not have extensions, making dot in folder name the first dot from the right))

Is code, not shown, "opening"/locking a whole folder as one file?

May be old fashioned, but I still use underscores in paths instead of spaces too.


Cheers,

[Stuart McLachlan]

May be old fashioned, but I still use underscores in paths instead of spaces too.

Me too. EIther that of CamelCase. Preferably the latter

[Mike Doty]

Verified PATHNAME$ has no problem with dot in filespec.

FUNCTION PBMAIN AS LONG
  LOCAL sfilespec       AS STRING
  REDIM sResult(1 TO 5) AS STRING
  sfilespec = "S:\MINDEXii.DAT\MyFile.txt"
  sResult(1)=PATHNAME$(FULL,sfilespec) 'S:\MINDEXii.DAT\MyFile.txt
  sResult(2)=PATHNAME$(PATH,sfilespec) 'S:\MINDEXii.DAT\
  sResult(3)=PATHNAME$(NAME,sfilespec) 'MyFile
  sResult(4)=PATHNAME$(EXTN,sfilespec) '.txt
  sResult(5)=PATHNAME$(NAMEX,sfilespec)'MyFile.txt
  ? JOIN$(sResult(),$CRLF)
END FUNCTION

>No. Although I have no control over the servers, I believe they are Windows 2022 servers.

Sounds like an issue that should be taken up with the server administrators. I doubt that its a PB issue at all.
At least they will be able to see what is going on and why the locks are being applied.

[Dale Yarker]

1. Your example path contains two dots.

2. We still do not know what Owen is doing (in code).

[Mike Doty]

1. PathName$(Full,filespec$) also returns the filename which includes the second dot. ' S:\MINDEXii.DAT\MyFile.txt
2. True

[Dale Yarker]

Does it get confused when there is no file name extension? (the point of bringing it up before) As 2. is true and we don't know if Owen used PATHNAME$, it is "a shot in the dark". We don't even know if there is another program between Owen's failing code and the server OS.