Cannot read Outlook.pst; volume name not part of file name

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Posts: 4
Joined: 27 May 2013

iainelder

I set up a FreeFileSync batch process to mirror my Windows user directory (`C:\Users\iain`) to my user area on my organization's network share (`Z:\`). The mirror target is `Z:\Users\iain`.

The logical path `C:\Users\iain` is an NTFS junction point referring to `D:\Users\iain`.

Sometimes I see errors like this during the sync:

> Cannot read file 'C:\Users\iain\Documents\Outlook Files\Outlook.pst'.

> The file is locked by another process:
Microsoft Outlook - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\OUTLOOK.EXE'

> Volume name 'D:\' not part of file name 'C:\Users\iain\Documents\Outlook Files\Outlook.pst'!

I could work around the error by adding Outlook.pst to the excluded files list, but I don't like incomplete backups.

Is there are a way to solve the problem without losing data in the backup?
Posts: 4
Joined: 27 May 2013

iainelder

Another example, this time from FreeFileSync itself:

> Cannot read file 'C:\Users\iain\AppData\Roaming\FreeFileSync\Logs\update_z_drive 2013-05-27 110047.log'.

> The file is locked by another process:
Folder Comparison and Synchronization - 'C:\Program Files\FreeFileSync\Bin\FreeFileSync_x64.exe'

> Volume name 'D:\' not part of file name 'C:\Users\iain\AppData\Roaming\FreeFileSync\Logs\update_z_drive 2013-05-27 110047.log'!
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Zenju

Thank you, the problem is FFS does not expect the volume part of the filename to be on a different volume. In other words, the volume shadow copy part is not aware of file system redirections. What's required is that FFS first determines the "final" path, and only then starts to make VSS snapshots.
This will also fix a related problem with symlinks: currently FFS makes a snapshot of the volume that contains the symlink, but while copying, the symlink is followed and finds the target file on a volume outside the snapshot. But there the file is still locked!
This could explain a few mysterious bug reports complaining that FFS was unable to copy certain locked files although it has VSS capability.
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Joined: 27 May 2013

iainelder

Thanks for the explanation, Zenju.

Would you like me to open a ticket for this issue on the [404, Invalid URL: https://sourceforge.net/p/freefilesync/bugs/]?
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Zenju

No, I'm currently working on it and will post an updated version here later.
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Zenju

Here's the new version, let me know if it works for you:
[404, Invalid URL: http://freefilesync.sourceforge.net/FreeFileSync_5.16_beta_Windows_Setup.exe]
PS: Determining final target path requires Vista or later!
Posts: 4
Joined: 27 May 2013

iainelder

I'm testing on Windows 7 Enterprise.

The new version seems to work better than version 5.15.

So far FreeFileSync has reported no 'cannot read file' errors during the mirror operation, even though I'm using applications that hold locks on the files in my user directory.

Thanks for fixing this, Zenju!