Error: "zero len file"

heckadecimal · 2014-09-26T04:02:57.000Z

I get this error when I save or load a particular project.

Elektron aren’t being very good about getting back to me, and I can’t find it in a search. (actually pretty annoyed with their customer service for awhile now… perhaps that’s another issue but I know I’m not the only one so why not document my frustrations here)

Anyway, it has to do with a corrupt bank (2 of them actually). I can’t switch to bank 15 or 16, and if you look at these bank files from the project on a computer they have zero bytes.

I’ve tried copying another bank into their places using the OT’s built in file manager but no dice.

Just curious if anybody else has seen this or has any ideas. The other projects seem fine. This project seems otherwise fine, but every time I save or load it I get an error and it asks if I want to abort loading. It’s annoying and I worry about it happening to more banks.

Rusty · 2014-09-27T00:03:35.000Z

If they have zero length (i.e. fie sizweis 0kb) then they have probably become corrupted via the internal save process.

I believe there is a bug with the internal saving process that can cause corrupt projects / banks.

Regardless of any of the following, make a copy of your Project via your computer before trying any of the below…

Here are three potential options you can utilise:

1) You can try the Save to New project option, as this doesn’t seem to invoke the bug due to saving “new” versus saving “existing”

2) Or, use your computer to read the CF card. If there are two additional files: bank15.strd and bank16.strd then your banks may be recoverable. Feel free to pm me if so.

3) If you want to recover the availability of the banks, and/or the above doesn’t apply, then you can follow the below process:

Identify an empty bank in your project, lets pretend it is Bank 14
Use your computer to read the CF card.
Delete the files bank15.work, bank15.strd, bank16.work and bank16.strd if they exist.
Make a copy of bank14.work and rename as bank15.work
Make a copy of bank14.work and rename as bank16.work
Reload your project on the Octatrack and see how that goes.
Save the project via the Octatrack and see how that goes now.
Post your results / let me know how you got on.

heckadecimal · 2014-09-27T05:03:16.000Z

Thanks Rusty.

I should have mentioned, that’s actually exactly what I tried. I saved a few new versions of the project, then when I noticed the banks were unavailable I tried both copying the bank files manually on my computer and using the OT file manager utility. I guess it’s worth mentioning that when I looked at the project on my computer, the .strd files were missing for those banks. After I copied them, the project acted the same way when I loaded it again.

And the banks in question were (as far as I can remember) blank, so I’m not worried about recovering them so much as solving the mystery. Also I’d rather it didn’t start happening to other banks I do have stuff in.

Rusty · 2014-09-27T06:25:02.000Z

There is no mystery to solve…

But do back up regularly.