desktop [Bug]: Cannot Free up local space from small files (~1kB or less) in Windows

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⚠️ Before submitting, please verify the following: ⚠️

[X] This is a bug, not a question or a configuration issue.
[X] This issue is not already reported on Github (I've searched it).
[X] Nextcloud Server and Desktop Client are up to date. See Server Maintenance and Release Schedule and Desktop Releases for supported versions.
[X] I agree to follow Nextcloud's Code of Conduct

Bug description

There seems to be an error when freeing up local space using the virtual file system in Windows (does not happen in linux) in the latest 3.5 desktop client.

For small files, with a few kB at most, after right clicking on a file and select to free up local space, the desktop client keeps syncing that file indefinitely. For files 5kB or larger the problem disappears. It's easy to replicate by creating a new text file, and keep adding random text inside until the sync works fine again. The same happens for non-text files as well.

Editing or deleting these small files works fine, though.

On the server size, I do not see any reference to that file, indicating that this is likely entirely an issue with the client.

Steps to reproduce

Create new text file and write a couple of lines in it.
Wait until it syncs with Nextcloud
Right click on the file, and select Free up local space
Observe how nextcloud desktop client keeps trying to sync the same file over and over again
Now add a few more lines to the same file, until it reaches a size of 5kB or larger.
Right click on the file, and select Free up local space once again.
Observe how now the sync works fine now.

Expected behavior

Nextcloud should be able to free up the local space for virtual files regardless of the file size.

Which files are affected by this bug

All of them

Operating system

Windows

Which version of the operating system you are running.

Windows 10

Package

Other

Nextcloud Server version

23.0.2

Is this bug present after an update or on a fresh install?

Fresh desktop client install

Are you using the Nextcloud Server Encryption module?

Encryption is Disabled

Are you using an external user-backend?

[X] Default internal user-backend
[ ] LDAP/ Active Directory
[ ] SSO - SAML
[ ] Other

Nextcloud Server logs

No response

Additional info

No response

May 09 '22 21:05 wonx

Still an issue in client 3.5.1 for Windows.

May 19 '22 04:05 wonx

Same for me, but it happens for files a little larger than 1kb too

Edit: it looks like anything under 5kb has this problem

May 30 '22 13:05 trenoduro

Windows Client Version 3.5.1 - Issue hits all Files, smaller than the Blocksize of the Client HDD (4.096Byte in my Case). After using the Function "Free up space", the file keeps Accessible, even if the NC-Client is shuted down - it's simply not free'd up - Bigger Files (>= 4096) get an Error Message to check if the Client is running. - Small *.png icons are good test files to reproduce, they get scaled up after "Free up space", because the metadata aren't available anymore, but the file stays. Try'd to clean up Explorer Caches, but it takes no effect.

My Workaround: Files smaller 4 KB -> "Always keep on this device", to get them out of the SyncLoop.

NC_ClientBug

Jun 27 '22 16:06 Keden92

Is there a way to bring more attention to this issue? I just upgraded to v3.5.2 on Windows 11 and have the same issue. I noticed that this has also been discussed quite a bit on IssueHint. https://issuehint.com/issue/nextcloud/desktop/4226

Jul 05 '22 06:07 bhuvicp

This actually looks like a duplicate of https://github.com/nextcloud/desktop/issues/4226 which was opened in January. It is still an issue with client 3.5.2 and server 24.0.2.