nextcloud
[Bug]: Windows sync client stuck on "Searching for modification" when need to download a file
⚠️ 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
When files have the cloud icon (meaning they are not stored locally on the computer), double-clicking to download them causes the following issue:
The client starts syncing, and the download progress bar appears at 0%, but then everything freezes. The progress bar remains at 0%, and the sync icon and message stay on "Checking for modifications..." The only way to resolve this is to force-quit the sync client. This issue occurs repeatedly.
Steps to reproduce
- Start the sync engine
- Wait until initial sync is done
- Double-click a file not present locally
- Windows progress bar starts but stay at 0%, Sync engine stay on "Searching for modification" (I have french version so the text message of the sync window could be a bit different)
- Need to force kill the sync client
Expected behavior
The sync client should start syncing, the file should be downloaded and then the sync icon should go back to green check mark.
Which files are affected by this bug
jpg files, pdf, docs documents, etc.
Operating system
Windows
Which version of the operating system you are running.
Windows 11
Package
Official Windows MSI
Nextcloud Server version
30.0.10
Nextcloud Desktop Client version
3.16.4
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
Additional info
This issue does not occur on all computers (only about 5% of them), but it is reproducible. Setting the files to "Always store locally" resolves the problem (the download then completes successfully), but this eliminates the benefits of virtual mode.
Since 95% of computers don't experience this issue, I suspect it may be caused by a specific service, software, or configuration on the affected machines. However, I’ve encountered the same problem even on a brand-new, fresh Windows installation.
I enabled logging on the client, but when the issue occurs, the log files show no relevant entries—the last line corresponds to the last successful sync job. It appears that the entire sync engine freezes and stops functioning.
I'm having the exact same issue you describe here, with two different Nextcloud instances, except I'm using LDAP/Active Directory authentication (on both instances). My servers are running version 31.0.4. The clients are using Nextcloud Desktop 3.16.4. A few days ago, I even tried installing one of the daily builds of the Nextcloud desktop client version 3.17, and the issue persists.
Using or not LDAP do not change anything. I have the case on many instances without using LDAP. And I also had the issue for one sync client using LDAP while the other clients do not have the issue.
sorry for the delay any one can share logs ? the client should not lock anymore when trying to download a file I would not know how to fix it as I cannot reproduce this error given the privacy issue of sharing real logs on github, I can provide an upload only share link to the Nextcloud company instance (would ensure no one will get your logs apart from the company people working on the client)
Hello, I activated the log on the client but as i said in the previous post, nothing is logged. Not a single line since it starts downloading. I can reproduce the case anytime.
- Start the engine
- Wait until all sync (green icon)
- Open a single text file not locally -> freeze (see capture : https://docs.lcb-info.ch/index.php/s/6zYZgZKMag8Q7Ko) -> it stays on this state for ever
We also analyzed Windows logs... no success. What else can I give you to analyze this issue ? Thank you.
If it can help, when the desktop sync has just started and is ok, if I select a folder (not present locally) and select with right click "always store locally", the sync starts normally and everthing is synced without any issue.
The problem appears only when I try to open a file not present locally and needed to be download from the server.
Any news about this issue ? I have more and more Windows desktops with this issue. It is always brand new computers and especially Lenovo laptop (if it can help). The only workaround we have is to specify the main folder as "always present locally". But it is not the purpose and not always possible.
I you need, I can provide you an access on a computer having always the issue : impossible to download a file (Lenovo Laptop).
Thaks for your response.
3.17.0 -> yes. 3.17.1 not tested yet. I'll will do it on the machine having always the issue. I'll let you know.
Does anyone know or have been able to test if this PR (https://github.com/nextcloud/desktop/pull/8376) solves the problem?
As I understand (sorry but not used to git), this fix have been merged in the 3.17.0 release, right ? If so, the 3.17.0 release do not solve the issue.
I just did some tests with 3.17.0 again and no way to download a single file -> engine crashed. Then I upgraded to v3.17.1 and tested again and... it worked ! I opened about 10 files. Then the next one blocked again but the engine do not crashed and was on state "all sync" with green check mark. I Canceled the download and try again and it downloaded ok. Then tried for about 20 files and all ok.
Did the v3.17.1 contains updates that could lead to resolving this issue ?