Hi, the file lock function does not work on our shared Google drive. Here are some questions that might help me understand why:
- Do both users need to have File Lock selected in their settings or will it work one-way if one selects it but the other does not?
- Is there a (normal) delay between when the 1st user opens the file and when the 2nd user will be prevented from opening the same file?
- Sometimes a copy or a temporary file (.tmp) is created of the opened file by Raidrive and is not automatically removed again. Is this related to the File Lock or something else?
Hi~ @Hendrik_Van_Der_Walt ,
This is the answer to your question.
- Both users must set the File Lock for the File Lock function to work normally.
- It will take some time for Google to sync. This time may take from 1 second to several tens of seconds because Google’s Changes notification time is not constant. On average, it takes about 5 to 10 seconds.
- If the tmp file exists and is not removed, it may be because an error occurred when creating or renaming the file. If you send us the log file(C:\ProgramData\OpenBoxLab\RaiDrive\log) via email(support@raidrive.com), we will check it and get back to you.
So I went around and made sure everyone had File Lock activated (some of them did not). This cleared up the issue where it did not seem to work sometimes. (who would have guessed)
I already deleted the old .tmp files, so I am not sure who the ‘Authors’ of the .tmp files are. If any new ones appear I will send you the corresponding log files.
Thanks for the awesome software!
There are certainly fewer instances of .tmp files not deleting automatically since I made sure everyone has File Lock enabled.
Today was the first time I found a new .tmp file; I am emailing you the logs.
There was also a second instance of a .tmp file (from a different user); unfortunately, there is no log that covers the time in which the file was created since the newest .log file stops 1 hour before then. Am I missing something?
Hi~ @Hendrik_Van_Der_Walt ,
If the file name you are working with in Excel is abc.xlsx, is the remaining tmp file name abc.xlsx.tmp?
Their are two .tmp files that are not removed. (both related to abc.xlsx)
The first is a hexadecimal or some such name (F4735AB6.tmp). This file is created by user A and there is some information in the log regarding this file not deleting.
The second is, as you say, abc.xlsx.tmp created by user B with no apparent log information.
Hi~ @Hendrik_Van_Der_Walt ,
As a result of the test, it was confirmed that the tmp file remains.
This is not a RaiDrive issue, it’s a file permission issue in the Google Shared with me folder.
Only the owner who created the file can delete the file in the shared folder. (Deletion from the web is handled differently)
Because Rename is allowed, all Rename requested by the Excel program succeeds, and the Delete command requested by Excel after saving is not deleted because it does not have permission.
Remaining tmp files can only be deleted by the original owner.
We recommend that you try Google Shared drives. (Must have Manager privileges. Content Manager causes the same problem.)
Why does Raidrive try to delete the .tmp folder created by another user? Just correct me if I am wrong; but should file lock not prevent user B from creating a .tmp file if user A is working on it?
Currently it seems like both user A and B create a .tmp file and user B tries to delete the .tmp file created by A?
Hi~ @Hendrik_Van_Der_Walt ,
If you delete a file created by another user from the shared folder, the file will appear in the root folder of the user who created it. (This is Google’s policy.)
This will result in a bunch of tmp files or other files that don’t make sense in the root folder of the user you created them for.
Files that are deleted and accumulated in the root folder should be deleted after the creator judges it well.
Therefore, RaiDrive supports only normal deletion methods, and deleted files are moved to the trash.
For example, in the case of Excel
(1) User A created a.xlsx file.
(2) User B opens a.xlsx file, edits it, and saves it.
(3) Excel renames a.xlsx to BCDF.tmp.
(4) Excel uploads the file as DEFG.tmp.
(5) Excel renames DEFG.tmp to a.xlsx.
(6) Excel deletes BCDF.tmp.
At this time, because BCDF.tmp has the authority of a.xlsx, it has the authority of user A and user B does not have the authority to delete. Therefore, step (6) fails, leaving BCDF.tmp.
Here, if BCDF.tmp is deleted as if it is deleted from Google’s Web, BCDF.tmp will appear in user A’s root folder. This will cause user A’s root folder to be full of strange files.
There is one other case of yours.
While creating and saving a.xlsx, another user may create another a.xlsx. (Google’s Change Timing Issue)
When renaming DEFG.tmp → a.xlsx, RaiDrive renames a.xlsx to a.xlsx.tmp because a.xlsx already exists, and deletes a.xlsx.tmp after upload is complete.
At this time, a.xlsx.tmp is also left due to the failure of the delete permission.
Thank you for the detailed explanation.
I will have a look at Google Shared drives