The log file is located but never shows anything

[dbague]

I searched for log file in the forum, but it seems to never have been object of the questions.
The file does exist, and is in my document folder (which is relocated via windows 10 OS user folder linking mechanism, if that is a problem), however it never shows anything.

I keep checking the mark for it to be updated in all features. And still nothing it.
I might have once tried to have it go within a sub-folder of document or a sub-folder or a sub-folder so I could eventually empty it instead of letting it grow out my old editor abilities to graph the whole.

I seek help. I am using the last licensed pro version. Thanks.

Unrelated: is there a way to change ones username in this forum. Mine is not aging well.

[DigitalVolcano]

Have you checked that 'Log events' is checkmarked in the settings, and that the log file location is where you'd expect?
Try clicking on view log to confirm the location.

[DigitalVolcano]

You can't user edit the profile name, but let me know and I think I can change it

[dbague]

Sorry took me a while to come back. Yes in settings there each time I can check. It had worked for while, but it might have been upon resinstallation. or resetting all parameters, and I do not want to keep doing the latter. I moved the last one as it was getting too heavy for my lightweight editor.

As i see that it is within the help expectation that one can clear the file, and it would get repopulated. But while it appears to create a new one, it now again systematically does not write anything anymore.

I will try to re-install if that was the previous fix.. but resetting data is not something I like to do. I wonder about parameters I might have to readjust.. or whereabouts of databases.. although I thihnk on version 5 I am not changing much. I do keep version 4 as well, as I like some of its GUI better.. or as comparative method. If that is a problem. windows 10 pro updated here. Document folder permissions seem ok to me.

using the software not in administrative mode (I think, at least not my forcing it so).

Any clue as to what that might be. is there some kind of diagnostic I could trigger for you?

[dbague]

You can't user edit the profile name, but let me know and I think I can change it

I do not understand your answer. I have the same problem again. And I do not want to uninstall and reinstall each time the logfile becomes large.
It does not behave as in the documentation, where it says that one can delete the file and it will be repopulated (my word).

The problem with unsinstall is that I lost my databases.. It only kept the virtual folder data.

Is there a database preserving way. I do not know why it worked exactly, last reinstall. Or maybe I did a reset to default. I am sorry for my bad memory. one of those.

The file seems to be create where it expects it (as a file in the user document folder). but it does not write to it at all. And yes to all checkmark suggestions. I do get the file to open upon the buttons that allow it. it just does not update anything..

is this is document folder permission problem. that reset or reinstall somehow works around. Thanks for helping. I find the log useful to track the needles in haystack while scanning big directories. And other errors. Also, to test other options.

[J-Toresen]

Do you have OneDrive?
If so, there at two Document folder, one in you PC and one i OneDrive.
Check where the "Duplicate Cleaner log file.txt" is located.

Toresen

[dbague]

Do you have OneDrive?

I do not use OneDrive at all. The file is supposed to be in document by defaults, right. It does create one.

But that reminds me that I do not keep my user file in the system drive. I use the MS windows user folder relocation mechanism (some kind of symbolic link, i think it is called folder redirection). I also use hardlinkshell (link shell extension software) for other folders (might be related to my other post on some warnings, but not here, as Documents is redirected to a D: drive. I did not have that problem with version 4 that I recall, and I have been doing this separation of system and data (as much as I can) for ages.. At least with version 4.

Does that help, or is it a clue? Are there diagnostic files I could share with you (not the log of course, although perhaps the file details might have some information).

[J-Toresen]

I have 6 SSDs in my PC. Drive D is my "working" disk, while drive E is an internal backup (mirror) of Drive D.

I keep the folders Documents, Photos, Music, Downloads etc on drive C because many programs use these folders to store information related to the program. I keep these folders only to avoid problems. The log file of Duplicate Cleander is stored in Documents, and I can open it. These folders are almost empty because I do not store personal files in drive C.

All my folders with my own documents, photos, music, downloads etc are on drive D (SSD size 4TB). This approach works for me.
Drives F and G are dedicated to video files, both SSDs 4TB.

So maybe your problems are because Documents is located on drive D.

Toresen

[dbague]

... Drive D is my "working" disk, ...
...
I keep the folders Documents, Photos, Music, Downloads etc on drive C. ...
...
The log file of Duplicate Cleander is stored in Documents, and I can open it...
...
All my folders with my own documents, photos, music, downloads etc are on drive D (SSD size 4TB).
...
So maybe your problems are because Documents is located on drive D.

I just tested by manually forcing DC5 to save the log in my C: user folder having renamed my symbolic link to D, but kept the windows "Document" still redirected to the D: target. I created a folder directly in the C: User Username path names "Documents" (since few software happen to do the same without using the redirection feature of the OS). And there is does work.

So yes, it seems to be possible that DC5, while aware of the redirection for creating the file, (as the "select file" button lands me there by default, but then write the target folder instance in the path of the GUI), is not actually able to write in that file now. But it did upon resetting (or if memory wrong, it was uninstall reinstall, anyway, I lost previous hash database).

Thanks for your specifics. This is a bug. but I made progress. Now, I find this a bit annoying in that I will have to keep checking in 2 places for the occasional software. I had 2 pointers before to the D: target (Document). I guess persmissions might not propagate well for various types of sym links..

I know that shortcuts have lost a bunch of permission follow through at some point.. but I thought symlinks were transparent to well registered software.

[dbague]

Various tests. Changing file location (and file manage deletion, followed by DC5 restart and "select file").

0)
The op context was using my folder target on D:. It works from fresh install (it must have the first time). It words I think with putting back settings to default (with loss, in either case, of hash table --- but I can find where they are and make manual backup now that I know).

1) in my previous post, i reported that forcing the file to be saved in my user folder under a new folder, works.

2) I checked that it actually also works on my desktop folder (also redirected to D:, same Windows OS feature not symlink of mine)

3) I then tried the root of D:, and it both creates the file when there are none, AND appends new event as log.

I tried to delete again from the D:Document (redirection target from C: username directory of the same name), and then again (with DC5 and it now refuses to create one).

It might be my Document folder permissions, on D:. I will try to mirror the Desktop folder permissions as my next experiment.

It is not D: drive base permission that blocks, as both root and desktop (or I bet any new folder) do not reproduce the bug (bug for me for now, not necessarily software bug).

Something might have happened, possible my fault, at some point. I could test with a new user account. Instead of this micromanagement of folder permissions. I will come back at some point with new results.