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Old 08-20-2021, 06:52 AM   #1
Ellerbrok
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Default Problems saving on "GoogleDrive for Desktop" (FIXED)

Dear support,

I am using GoogleDrive (Backup&Sync) to share my reaper projects among my co-workers and several Win10 workstations for about 10 years with no issue. Unfortunately Google is transitioning away from Backup&Sync to a sync tool they call "GoogleDrive for Desktop" that is related to the Google file streaming technology. Today it is only a hand full of users with this issue, but the more Goggle transitions, the more users will be affected.

Unfortunately Reaper seems to have a small issue when writing specific RPP-files to a folder synced by the new tool. A error message "Error writing project file. Disk full?" even if there are tons of space available.

I am aware that a similar issue has beed discussed in the "compatibility" sub-forum a while ago. Unfortunately there was no solution to this issue. The thread users came to the conclusion that this must be some kind of file-locking issue from Google.

I am a professioinal software developer, so I investigated the issue a little bit further and from my perspective it is not an issue of Google but from Reaper. Why am I thinking this:

1. It does not happen for all RPP files an empty one works fine. Even after adding some Midi items it works. Projects with more items, like the one I added to this thread, will not save.

2. At any time (even the instance the above mentioned error message is shown) it is possible to open the RPP-file via Notepad, edit some values and successfuly save the file. So it can not be locked by Google.

I guess that there is a kind of pre-save space-checking algorithm implemented in Reaper to make sure the space on the drive is large enough, that is returing bogus values for a "GoogleDrive for Desktop"-shared folder.

I am using Reaper v5.981 x64 because my current license is only up to 5.xx, but the latest demo version of Reaper 6 had the same issue. Windows is 10 21H1. The GoogleDrive for Desktop is version 50.0.11.0.

As I mentioned, I am a professional software developer and I am willing to assist the Reaper development team in ANY way they need assistance to fix this issue.

Thanks in advance.

Best regards,
Marcel Ellerbrok
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File Type: rpp S03.rpp (87.5 KB, 100 views)
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Old 08-21-2021, 12:51 PM   #2
Ellerbrok
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Further investigation:

It was possible for me to save a new project containing 13 empty tracks to a GoogleDrive for Desktop with no problems.

After adding a 14th empty track to the project, the saving error message appears.

Removed the 14th track and the project can be saved again.

Re-added the 14th track... guess what... error message.
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File Type: rpp TestEmptyTracks.rpp (7.6 KB, 115 views)
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Old 08-22-2021, 07:32 AM   #3
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subscribed. i use google drive to backup and have done so for nearly ten years.

it's annoying, because there used to be a PC program called Google Drive. then they changed it to "Backup and Sync from Google," and now they're changing it back to "Google Drive??"

it's obnoxious and interruptive. makes me want to evaluate other, more DIY options...though using google drive has saved my ass on several occasions.

thanks for posting this, i'll be watching
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Old 08-25-2021, 10:35 AM   #4
Ellerbrok
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Next iteration of investigation:

After I found that the number of tracks can decide wether the project can be saved on the GoogleDrive or not (13 will, 14 won't), I made the discovery that even with one track the number of items on the track will make a difference. 24 (empty) items on a track an the project can be saved, 25 items and the error message appears. Example projects are attached.

It seems that after the project reaches a miracolous size (seems 8k) an internal drive-space-checking failes.

I will post more if I discover more. I only hope, that a responsible person will read this.

Best regards,
Marcel
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File Type: rpp TestSplit_notSaving.rpp (8.1 KB, 95 views)
File Type: rpp TestSplit.rpp (7.9 KB, 107 views)
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Old 08-25-2021, 11:10 AM   #5
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To me, this looks like a file locking issue.

Google Drive locks the file while syncing it to the cloud. If Reaper at that point tries to save the file, the file is locked and Reaper throws up the "Error writing file" message. While this message is up, GDrive finishes syncing the file and lets go of the lock. So if you try a few seconds later to open the *.RPP in Notepad and save it from there, it all works fine.

Of course, the larger the file to save and sync, the slower the internet, etc, the more such clashes will occur.

It is a bit tricky to google this, most of the hits I get concern problems with syncing from local storage to the cloud, but I did find this issue discussed in the Adobe community: https://community.adobe.com/t5/adobe...ve/m-p/8801020.

EDIT: Found this! https://support.google.com/drive/thr...obe-apps?hl=en
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Old 08-26-2021, 02:18 AM   #6
Ellerbrok
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Hi,

no I am very convinced, that this is NOT a GoogleDrive locking issue. Following your logic saving in Reaper is not possible, because GD locked the file for a few seconds so Reaper could not save. Then GD unlockes the file, so editing with the Notepad is possible.

BUT, pressing the the save button in Reaper again will then AGAIN show the save error message. So why? Should the file not be lockfree at this point? And why should GD lock a not new and not modified RPP (and ONLY RPP files, repeaks, wav, mp3 etc. all works fine) in the first place?

As a software developer I know that is is very easy to shovel the respontibility for errors to other people/parties, but I think the Reaper developers should have a deeper look at this.

Regards,
Marcel
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Old 10-29-2021, 07:24 AM   #7
Ellerbrok
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Hi there,

I am very disappointed, that nobody of the Reaper-team seems to care about my issue. This is not the way I know and I wouldn't assess the team that way either.

Apparently I'm too unimportant and not even worth an answer.

Best regards,
Marcel
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Old 11-30-2021, 11:16 PM   #8
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This definitely needs some figuring out
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Old 12-01-2021, 12:34 AM   #9
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Hi,

I dug a bit deeper in and I think I found the cause. Both Reaper and GoogleDrive are partly to blame for it.

When Reaper saves a (larger) project, it does not save to the RPP file directly, but to a temporary file (.rpptemp or something like that) in the same folder as the RPP. After a successful save the original RPP is deleted and the temporary file is renamed to RPP.

Unfortunately after saving to .rpptemp the GoogleDrive does what it's for and begins to sync the file. During that period the .rpptemp file gets locked. As a cause of this lock, the whole, already successful save process, fails to rename the rpptemp file to RPP.

The issue of temporary files is known at Google for several years now and I think they will not adress this issue soon.

There are two easy solutions to fix this issue at Reaper side.

1. Make it, optionally possible to save directly to RPP file instead of the temporary file. But this is a bit risky, you could lose the RPP file if saving fails.

2. Internal retry the rename step, and/or other parts of the saving process multiple times and do not abort if it failes at the first attempt. This is very easy to implement and would not tamper with the risk of loosing the project file.

I hope any Reaper responsible manager or developer will read this.

Best regards,
Marcel
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Old 12-01-2021, 12:19 PM   #10
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So it is a file locking issue!

Is it not possible to tell Google Drive not to sync *.rpptemp files? That would solve the problem, I guess.
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Old 12-06-2021, 09:18 AM   #11
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Some good news on its way!
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Old 12-06-2021, 10:08 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pipelineaudio View Post
Some good news on its way!
Great news! Any pointers?
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Old 12-09-2021, 09:47 AM   #13
Ellerbrok
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fabian View Post
So it is a file locking issue!

Is it not possible to tell Google Drive not to sync *.rpptemp files? That would solve the problem, I guess.
Unfortunatley this is not possible. It was possible in the old "Backup&Sync"-Client, but it is not possible in the "Google Drive for Desktop" that replaced "Backup&Sync".
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Old 12-09-2021, 10:48 AM   #14
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I just got tipped off on WeTransfer. Don't even need to sign up and much more straightforward than GDrive or Dropbox.
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Old 12-10-2021, 08:32 AM   #15
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+1
same problem here
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Old 12-10-2021, 08:47 AM   #16
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This should be fixed/worked-around in the next release, you can try the current pre-releases (see the pre-release forum).
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Old 12-11-2021, 01:19 PM   #17
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Thanks! Solved
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Old 12-23-2021, 02:02 AM   #18
Ellerbrok
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Hi,

testet it in v6.43 and you are right. The problem was fixed. This thread can be closed now.

Thanks a lot Reaper-Team!

Best regards,
Marcel
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