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SMB file transfer fails if file name starts with "._"
Have a RN212 configured for use as network file server, including backing up smartphones and laptops. Updated it today with latest OS version 6.9.5 and retested, and the error remains.
Backup solution for Android phones use SMB shares for transport, and mirrors source filesystem into a sub-folder in the SMB share.
If a filename begins with "._" characters (period, underline), then the file is rejected with a "File Not Found" error, and an error status code of 0xc0000034, aborting the remainder of the backup copy.
This can be easily tested from a windows PC by creating a file named "._Junk.txt", then attempting to transfer the file to the RN212 share.
Android smartphones have many, many application and system files that are named using that convention, so renaming them on the phone is not a viable solution.
You could perhaps use time machine over afp instead of smb???
Well, my assumption right now is that Enhance MacOS is adding some kind of filter, so unless using afp allows that to be disabled, I don't think that would work.
If you reset TM to use AFP, then you can disable Enhance MacOS. At least other posters here have said that.
This can be easily tested from a windows PC by creating a file named "._Junk.txt", then attempting to transfer the file to the RN212 share.
This transfer works for me (both with 6.9.3 and 6.9.5). Files starting with "." are hidden in Windows, so you do need to set file explorer to view hidden files. The PC is running Windows 10 Professional.
Enhance MacOS was turned off on the NAS, Strict sync was enabled for the share. I testing with an RN202 (running 6.9.5) and two x86 NAS (RN524 and RN526). The transfers were done using drag and drop.
Re: SMB file transfer fails if file name starts with "._"
Hi Stephan,
The transfer does not work for me, neither from Android nor from a windows PC. I know about the hidden file conventions, and verified it by successfully transferring a file named ".Junk.txt", then tried "._Junk.txt" again, which again failed to transfer.
PCs are running windows 7, Android phone is 8.0.0.
I have tested this on the PCs by dragging from one explorer pane to the other, on the RN212 itself by uploading through the web interface, and on the Android phone using SMBSync2 backup application (which is where I first ran into this problem).
All methods work going from a PC or Android onto a PC SMB share, and fail going to the RN212 share.
Opening the RN212 share in a PC explorer pane and trying to create a file with a leading "._" fails, but creating a file with only the leading "." succeeds.
I can't disable EnhanceMacOS because one of the phones being backed up is an iPhone using TimeMachine over SMB (which has no problems I'm aware of).
Strict sync is enabled.
Are there any accessible diagnostics logs on the RN212 for file transfers I could examine?
Do you know if there is a configuration setting that would affect this behavior?
Do I need to capture the network traffic and see if there's something there that isn't right?
Re: SMB file transfer fails if file name starts with "._"
Roland,
Thanks for the suggestion, but:
1. There's no reason why this should not work - the sequence while odd is in the allowable alphanumeric set of characters for filenames.
2. Due to mixed PC/Android/Mac/iPhone usage, I was hoping to keep the number of enabled file transfer protocols to a bare minimum for maintenence and troubleshooting purposes.
Re: SMB file transfer fails if file name starts with "._"
Hi Stephan,
Disabling both Timemachine and the Enhance MacOS settings fixed it for me.
Suggest you set up a shared Timemachine, enable Enhance MacOS (if it doesn't automatically do it for you) and retest, please.
So on the assumption it's something to do with Timemachine, I need a solution that includes providing the Timemachine service for iBook/iPad that doesn't interfere with SMB like this.
Re: SMB file transfer fails if file name starts with "._"
I retested (with just Enhance MacOS checked), and I did see "file not found" when I did the drag and drop. Perhaps there was some caching going on with the earlier test???
It'd be ideal if Enhance MacOS could be managed share-by-share (which would allow it to be limited to TimeMachine). You might want to suggest that in the idea exchange.
Re: SMB file transfer fails if file name starts with "._"
So it's just the Enhance MacOS setting, and not whether or not a Time machine is running?
Do you know if it's possible to run Time Machine without enabling Enhance MacOS?
Also, will entering this into idea exchange generate a defect submission for a future release, or is there somewhere else to do that?
Because it IS a defect, other NAS solutions that provide Time machine support don't have this problem (or at least it's not been publicly reported on Synology, QNAP or WD forums).
Also, will entering this into idea exchange generate a defect submission for a future release, or is there somewhere else to do that?
Because it IS a defect,
First, I agree it's a defect. Still, it might affect other manufacturer's NAS (this is the first post of the issue I've seen here, so I wouldn't read too much into silence in other forums).
I don't have visibility into how Netgear monitors the idea exchange. My impression is that they don't monitor it much (at least not effectively). However, they do sometimes, and entering it there does no harm.
You could PM a mod ( @JohnCM_S ) or perhaps @OOM-9 and see if they can log it in their internal systems.
Re: SMB file transfer fails if file name starts with "._"
You could perhaps use time machine over afp instead of smb???
Well, my assumption right now is that Enhance MacOS is adding some kind of filter, so unless using afp allows that to be disabled, I don't think that would work. I'm not inclined to try because that would mean disabling Time machine, which deletes all of the backup.
You could PM a mod ( @JohnCM_S ) or perhaps @OOM-9 and see if they can log it in their internal systems.
I'll give that a try, and also ask if they know of a workaround.
You could perhaps use time machine over afp instead of smb???
Well, my assumption right now is that Enhance MacOS is adding some kind of filter, so unless using afp allows that to be disabled, I don't think that would work.
If you reset TM to use AFP, then you can disable Enhance MacOS. At least other posters here have said that.
Re: SMB file transfer fails if file name starts with "._"
Hi Stephan,
That appears to work: I went to the Time machine settings and switched it from SMB to AFP, added AFP to the share protocol list, then disabled Enhance MacOS from the share.
Was then able to backup my Android phone, and once I reconfigured Time machine on the iBook and iPhone to the new share interface protocol, they backed up using Time machine as well.
Guess I'll hope that in the future when Apple fully removes AFP from their products that Netgear has fixed the SMB part of this issue, or that Apple provides direct SMB backup support of a different flavor.
