Files getting corrupted in IDE

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This is very strange. We have had several instances of the VB files on a workstation getting changed by ...something. Just today a project's file - not checked out (we use Source Safe), not even open for browsing - got changed. A "build" was done and when the compiler got to this file it found the word "draving" instead of "drawing." If I look at the VB file on the machine's drive, with Notepad (in other words, outside of the IDE), there is the wrong word! Clearly it was changed. Yet the file is set readonly and its date is a week ago! Builds were done several times earlier today with no problem. If I look at a copy of the file on another machine, it is correct. How the file got changed with readonly set and no resulting date-time changte beats me. Yet there it is

Any ideas? How the heck can a readonly file be changed, and when a file is changed how can the date/time not be updated?
 
Hi,

Thanks for your post. As I understand, the problem you are facing is that
files may be changed randomly in VS .NET IDE. Please correct me if there is
any misunderstanding.

I am afraid that the problem may be caused by a malfunctioned third-party
application or service. I suggest you to use filemon to monitor the file
access to your files to find out which process changes the file. You can
download filemon at http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/source/filemon.shtml.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

HuangTM
Microsoft Online Partner Support
MCSE/MCSD

Get Secure! -- www.microsoft.com/security
This posting is provided "as is" with no warranties and confers no rights.
 
Hi

I am intrigued by this thread, as I have been noticing almost identical
symptoms.

I can be happily making changes and building, when, for no apparent reason,
the compiler throws up dozens of errors. When I look at these errors I find
that a section of a file has been repeated and dumped at the end of one of
my class modules. It is usually the same file and largely the same extract
that is repeated, but not always the same. The extract does not correspond
to anything that I have ever cut/copied to the clipboard, so I can totally
rule out finger trouble.

Following your observation about a third-party application malfunctioning -
you seem very sure of this; do you know of any in particular or have you
come across it before - I recall that I have installed VBCommenter which
occasionally throws up null reference exceptions. I will try removing it and
see if I notice any difference.

In the meantime, I would be interested in anyone else's experiences of this
type of behaviour.

Charles
 
I'll try the Filemon utility; we'll see what happens

This is not a one-time event. It has been happening on and off, with no pattern we've yet been able to detect

I think it is important to note that so far it has been in files the userr is NOT working with at the time, buut are part of the overall system. That is, in one .vb project that is part of the group to be compiled, but not any of the ones edited during the current session. That the file is being physically changed on the hard drive w/o the date/time stamp getting updated implies somoething must be happening at a very low level

When I know more I'll post it. Filemon utility (and others there) looks interesting.
 
You could set the Readonly flag on the files during the build, see if some
process complains. Just an experiment.
--
Phil Wilson [MVP Windows Installer]
----
normd said:
I'll try the Filemon utility; we'll see what happens.

This is not a one-time event. It has been happening on and off, with no
Click to expand...
pattern we've yet been able to detect.
I think it is important to note that so far it has been in files the userr is
Click to expand...
NOT working with at the time, buut are part of the overall system. That is, in
one .vb project that is part of the group to be compiled, but not any of the
ones edited during the current session. That the file is being physically
changed on the hard drive w/o the date/time stamp getting updated implies
somoething must be happening at a very low level.
When I know more I'll post it. Filemon utility (and others there) looks
Click to expand...
interesting.
 
This just keeps getting better! Phil, the files in question ARE readonly! They're getting changed any way! And, again, the date and time of the changed files are not updated to when the change is made!
 
Hi,

Thanks for your update. Could you tell which process changed the readonly
file? Did you monitor the file access using FileMon?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Have a nice day!

Regards,

HuangTM
Microsoft Online Partner Support
MCSE/MCSD

Get Secure! -- www.microsoft.com/security
This posting is provided "as is" with no warranties and confers no rights.
 
We've been running with FileMon on since it was suggested. So far no - NO - instance of a file getting corrupted (it knows it is being watched...). We also changed a few procedures, so there are several variables happening at once. If we find anything new we'll report it.
 
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