«

I use briefcase over a wireless network and often have to reboot the laptop
to get a valid list of files needing synchronization. Not doing this can
cause incorrect file deletion. At least briefcase warns you that it will do
this. 3rd party "Second Copy" works similarly, but without warning, causing
a serious situation I narrowly escaped. They state that there is a bug in
the Windows xp networking software (as described below). Is this true?

Nick



_______________

We are thankful that a near catastrophe was averted by your use of archive
folders.

This problem was apparently caused due to a bug in the Microsoft Windows
networking software.

When Second Copy (SC) runs a profile that is set to synchronize files, first
it tries to make a connection to the destination computer. If the connection
fails, it logs an error message and quits the profile. If the connection
succeeds then it lists the files in the source and destination folder to
compare and decide which files should be copied.

In your situation, Windows (erroneously) reported to SC that the connection
is successful but there are no files in the destination folder. This tells
SC that the files existed the previous time when they were synched but the
user has since deleted the files from destination. If the "Synchronize file
deletion also" is selected (as seems to be the case with your profile
setup). SC deletes the corresponding files.

The culprit is the Windows networking connection that erroneously reports
that there are no files in the destination folder instead of reporting that
the destination can not be reached. We don't know a solution to this bug in
Windows.

To avoid this in future you can uncheck the "Synchronize file deletion also"
option.

--------------------------------------------
Centered Systems Support

Winner of People's Choice Award 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004
Best Overall Utility
-------------------------------------------

This looks like (ugm) a defect in SC software. Knowing that behavior of
Windows, they probably didn't take the nesessary means to compensate it.
Just for example, before enumerating the remote folder, you could query
the creation date or other property of the folder itself.

--PA

"Nick Mirro" <> wrote in message
news:...
> I use briefcase over a wireless network and often have to reboot the laptop
> to get a valid list of files needing synchronization. Not doing this can
> cause incorrect file deletion. At least briefcase warns you that it will do
> this. 3rd party "Second Copy" works similarly, but without warning, causing
> a serious situation I narrowly escaped. They state that there is a bug in
> the Windows xp networking software (as described below). Is this true?
>
> Nick
>
>
>
> _______________
>
> We are thankful that a near catastrophe was averted by your use of archive
> folders.
>
> This problem was apparently caused due to a bug in the Microsoft Windows
> networking software.
>
> When Second Copy (SC) runs a profile that is set to synchronize files, first
> it tries to make a connection to the destination computer. If the connection
> fails, it logs an error message and quits the profile. If the connection
> succeeds then it lists the files in the source and destination folder to
> compare and decide which files should be copied.
>
> In your situation, Windows (erroneously) reported to SC that the connection
> is successful but there are no files in the destination folder. This tells
> SC that the files existed the previous time when they were synched but the
> user has since deleted the files from destination. If the "Synchronize file
> deletion also" is selected (as seems to be the case with your profile
> setup). SC deletes the corresponding files.
>
> The culprit is the Windows networking connection that erroneously reports
> that there are no files in the destination folder instead of reporting that
> the destination can not be reached. We don't know a solution to this bug in
> Windows.
>
> To avoid this in future you can uncheck the "Synchronize file deletion also"
> option.
>
> --------------------------------------------
> Centered Systems Support
>
> Winner of People's Choice Award 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004
> Best Overall Utility
> -------------------------------------------
>
>

Sounds like your software vendor is pushing the blame on windows for
their inadequate attempts in programming - definitely this is a
design/logic flaw in their software - sounds like the vendor just
quickly ported their code over from Win9x to WinNT, not taking the
time to redesign inadequate classes and/or procedures now running in
the NT environment - this effort results in low cost overhead, money
savings, but crappy software/support and of course, sooner or later,
out of business for the vendor.

--

Star Fleet Admiral Q @ your service
--------------------------------------------------------
"Nick Mirro" <> wrote in message
news:...
> I use briefcase over a wireless network and often have to reboot the
laptop
> to get a valid list of files needing synchronization. Not doing
this can
> cause incorrect file deletion. At least briefcase warns you that it
will do
> this. 3rd party "Second Copy" works similarly, but without warning,
causing
> a serious situation I narrowly escaped. They state that there is a
bug in
> the Windows xp networking software (as described below). Is this
true?
>
> Nick
>
>
>
> _______________
>
> We are thankful that a near catastrophe was averted by your use of
archive
> folders.
>
> This problem was apparently caused due to a bug in the Microsoft
Windows
> networking software.
>
> When Second Copy (SC) runs a profile that is set to synchronize
files, first
> it tries to make a connection to the destination computer. If the
connection
> fails, it logs an error message and quits the profile. If the
connection
> succeeds then it lists the files in the source and destination
folder to
> compare and decide which files should be copied.
>
> In your situation, Windows (erroneously) reported to SC that the
connection
> is successful but there are no files in the destination folder. This
tells
> SC that the files existed the previous time when they were synched
but the
> user has since deleted the files from destination. If the
"Synchronize file
> deletion also" is selected (as seems to be the case with your
profile
> setup). SC deletes the corresponding files.
>
> The culprit is the Windows networking connection that erroneously
reports
> that there are no files in the destination folder instead of
reporting that
> the destination can not be reached. We don't know a solution to this
bug in
> Windows.
>
> To avoid this in future you can uncheck the "Synchronize file
deletion also"
> option.
>
> --------------------------------------------
> Centered Systems Support
>
> Winner of People's Choice Award 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004
> Best Overall Utility
> -------------------------------------------
>
>

Interestingly, the original poster stated that the same flaw is found in the
Briefcase utility shipped with Windows

I'm not sure that I understand how an OS call that reports no error but
provides erroneous data is a third party providers inadequate programming?

If I understand another response by PA, I guess that when I find I can not
trust an OS call, I'm supposed to make another OS call to verify it?!?!

"Star Fleet Admiral Q"
<Star_Fleet_Admiral_Q(NO-SPAM)@(FORGET-SPAM)hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:...
> Sounds like your software vendor is pushing the blame on windows for
> their inadequate attempts in programming - definitely this is a
> design/logic flaw in their software - sounds like the vendor just
> quickly ported their code over from Win9x to WinNT, not taking the
> time to redesign inadequate classes and/or procedures now running in
> the NT environment - this effort results in low cost overhead, money
> savings, but crappy software/support and of course, sooner or later,
> out of business for the vendor.
>
> --
>
> Star Fleet Admiral Q @ your service
> --------------------------------------------------------
> "Nick Mirro" <> wrote in message
> news:...
> > I use briefcase over a wireless network and often have to reboot the
> laptop
> > to get a valid list of files needing synchronization. Not doing
> this can
> > cause incorrect file deletion. At least briefcase warns you that it
> will do
> > this. 3rd party "Second Copy" works similarly, but without warning,
> causing
> > a serious situation I narrowly escaped. They state that there is a
> bug in
> > the Windows xp networking software (as described below). Is this
> true?
> >
> > Nick
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________
> >
> > We are thankful that a near catastrophe was averted by your use of
> archive
> > folders.
> >
> > This problem was apparently caused due to a bug in the Microsoft
> Windows
> > networking software.
> >
> > When Second Copy (SC) runs a profile that is set to synchronize
> files, first
> > it tries to make a connection to the destination computer. If the
> connection
> > fails, it logs an error message and quits the profile. If the
> connection
> > succeeds then it lists the files in the source and destination
> folder to
> > compare and decide which files should be copied.
> >
> > In your situation, Windows (erroneously) reported to SC that the
> connection
> > is successful but there are no files in the destination folder. This
> tells
> > SC that the files existed the previous time when they were synched
> but the
> > user has since deleted the files from destination. If the
> "Synchronize file
> > deletion also" is selected (as seems to be the case with your
> profile
> > setup). SC deletes the corresponding files.
> >
> > The culprit is the Windows networking connection that erroneously
> reports
> > that there are no files in the destination folder instead of
> reporting that
> > the destination can not be reached. We don't know a solution to this
> bug in
> > Windows.
> >
> > To avoid this in future you can uncheck the "Synchronize file
> deletion also"
> > option.
> >
> > --------------------------------------------
> > Centered Systems Support
> >
> > Winner of People's Choice Award 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004
> > Best Overall Utility
> > -------------------------------------------
> >
> >
>
>

"Dave M" <> wrote in message
newsvydnT1kEcoCq3DdRVn-...
> Interestingly, the original poster stated that the same flaw is found in the
> Briefcase utility shipped with Windows

Maybe - but though briefcase can be created and seems to work in XP,
it is not installed by default. It seems that briefcase tool and it's sync API is
obsolete
and supported only for users upgrading from win9x.

> I'm not sure that I understand how an OS call that reports no error but
> provides erroneous data is a third party providers inadequate programming?
>
> If I understand another response by PA, I guess that when I find I can not
> trust an OS call, I'm supposed to make another OS call to verify it?!?!

Yes exactly as in real life you don't believe in anything you hear - you check
twice

Well frankly speaking, I should test a solution myself before posting here, but
can't simulate
a slow network right now

--PA