1610 - Error Opening Low Level File   

Last reviewed: 02/06/2012
Article ID: R10742

The information in this article applies to:

• PracticeMaster Version 16, 15, 14, & 12

SUMMARY

This error indicates a problem opening an index file. The error is similar to a fatal error 1310, except the error 1310 indicates a problem opening a DAT file or an IDX file. The error 1610 only occurs when a stand-alone IDX file cannot be opened.

Specific Errors

Note: The "x" in the following error message(s) acts as a numeric wildcard and can represent any number. Information about these numbers and the codes they represent can be found in KB Article R10044, "How to Interpret Fatal Error Messages."

1610-x-12-32
1610-x-12-x
1610-x-13-x
1610-x-14-x
1610-x-36-x
1610-x-x-64

Error not listed

RESOLUTION FOR SPECIFIC ERRORS

The File Handler error 12 is "Could not open file; check sysiocod value." This is found on the File Handler Errors list.

The Operating System Error Code 32 is "ERROR_SHARING_VIOLATION. The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process." This is found on the Operating System Errors list.

This error indicates the file is in use.

A file can be opened in one of two modes:  Exclusive mode or Shared mode. If a file is opened in Exclusive mode, no other program can open the file (in either mode). If a file is opened in Shared mode, no other program can open the file in Exclusive mode. Tabs3 and PracticeMaster Programs open data and index files in Shared mode 95% of the time. It is normal for a file such as T3CLIENT.DAT to be open many times. Certain exclusive options, such as Reindex Files, may open files in Exclusive mode. This error indicates the server believes there is a conflict with how the file was opened (i.e., Exclusive mode vs. Shared mode).

• Check for unexpected open files.

    Causes
  
  This error may be a one-time only error or a recurring error. Troubleshooting steps vary depending on whether you simply want to get up and running as quickly as possible or you want to determine why these errors are occurring. Our recommendation is to always determine causes of errors whenever possible. Common causes of unexpected open files include but are not limited to:

  1. Someone may have reset user(s) in the Tabs3/PracticeMaster software (R10789).
  2. Other software may have files open, such as:
     • Antivirus software - Make sure the Tabs3 program directory is excluded from continuous virus scanning (R10760).
     • External backup software - Make sure backups are not being made while anybody is using the Tabs3/PracticeMaster software. Additional precautions are required for Client Server Version (CSV) software (R11213).
     • Disk shadowing software or other software.
  3. A workstation may have frozen up on the network.

  Detailed information regarding what causes these errors can be found in R10751, "Tech Tip:  Sharing Violation Errors".

    Troubleshooting Steps
  
  Any of the following steps may be used to troubleshoot this error:

  • Try the task again. If the open file was due to other software using the file, the file may no longer be open.

  • Check the Reset Log. Determine whether any users have been reset recently by checking the Reset Log file (View | Log Files | Reset Log).
    1. If reset user(s) are found, verify the user(s) that were reset are not still in the software.
       • If the user(s) that was reset is frozen, then end the program. Use the Task Manager if necessary.
       • Nobody should use the Tabs3/PracticeMaster software until the reset user has exited.
    2. After the reset user(s) have exited the software, have the reset user(s) either:
       • Log out of the network and log back in; or
       • Reboot and log back into the network.
    3. Try the task again. If the error no longer occurs, run a Data File Integrity Check to ensure there are no errors in the data.
    Note: Detailed information regarding the consequences of resetting users can be found in R10789, Resetting Users.

  • Check the Error Log. Determine whether any users have had any problems on the network or in Tabs3 by checking the Error Log file (View | Log Files | Error Log).
    1. For users who have recently had problems on the network, verify that those users are not still in the software.
       • If the user(s) that had problems is frozen, then end the program. Use the Task Manager if necessary.
       • Nobody should use the Tabs3/PracticeMaster software until those user(s) have exited.
    2. After those user(s) have exited the software, have the user(s) either:
       • Log out of the network and log back in; or
       • Reboot and log back into the network.
    3. Try the task again. If the error no longer occurs, run a Data File Integrity Check to ensure there are no errors in the data.

  • Check the file server for open files.
    • KB Article R10028 contains information on how to check for open files on Windows servers. KB Article R10181 contains information on how to check for open files on Novell NetWare.
      1. DO NOT close the open files using these utilities. Once you determine which files are open on which workstation, have those workstations either:
         • Log out of the network and log back in; or
         • Reboot and log back into the network.
      2. Try the task again. If the error no longer occurs, run a Data File Integrity Check to ensure there are no errors in the data.
    • Note: Be aware that the above techniques only find files that were opened on the server across the network. They do not find files that were opened by programs running locally on the file server (e.g., CSV components, antivirus software, etc.) You may need to use a utility that checks for locally opened files on the file server such as Process Explorer (see Microsoft KB How to Article 242131, Display a List of Processes That Have Files Open).

  • Restart STI Server and the Director. If using the Client Server Version (CSV), try restarting the STI Server and the Director.
    • After rebooting, try the task again. If the error no longer occurs, run a Data File Integrity Check to ensure there are no errors in the data.

  • Reboot all workstations. Keep in mind that simply rebooting the workstation does not close the file it opened on the file server; logging back into the network closes the open file.
    • If using Terminal Services, reboot the Terminal Server.
    • After rebooting, try the task again. If the error no longer occurs, run a Data File Integrity Check to ensure there are no errors in the data.

  • Reboot the file server. Although rebooting the file server will close any open files, it is typically not a practical troubleshooting step when other courses of action are available.
    • After rebooting, try the task again. If the error no longer occurs, run a Data File Integrity Check to ensure there are no errors in the data.

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The File Handler error 12 is "Could not open file: check sysiocod value." This is found on the File Handler Errors list. This error indicates that the user does not have proper access to the file.

• Check for unexpected open files.

    Causes
  
  This error may be a one-time only error or a recurring error. Troubleshooting steps vary depending on whether you simply want to get up and running as quickly as possible or you want to determine why these errors are occurring. Our recommendation is to always determine causes of errors whenever possible. Common causes of unexpected open files include but are not limited to:

  1. Someone may have reset user(s) in the Tabs3/PracticeMaster software (R10789).
  2. Other software may have files open, such as:
     • Antivirus software - Make sure the Tabs3 program directory is excluded from continuous virus scanning (R10760).
     • External backup software - Make sure backups are not being made while anybody is using the Tabs3/PracticeMaster software. Additional precautions are required for Client Server Version (CSV) software (R11213).
     • Disk shadowing software or other software.
  3. A workstation may have frozen up on the network.

  Detailed information regarding what causes these errors can be found in R10751, "Tech Tip:  Sharing Violation Errors".

    Troubleshooting Steps
  
  Any of the following steps may be used to troubleshoot this error:

  • Try the task again. If the open file was due to other software using the file, the file may no longer be open.

  • Check the Reset Log. Determine whether any users have been reset recently by checking the Reset Log file (View | Log Files | Reset Log).
    1. If reset user(s) are found, verify the user(s) that were reset are not still in the software.
       • If the user(s) that was reset is frozen, then end the program. Use the Task Manager if necessary.
       • Nobody should use the Tabs3/PracticeMaster software until the reset user has exited.
    2. After the reset user(s) have exited the software, have the reset user(s) either:
       • Log out of the network and log back in; or
       • Reboot and log back into the network.
    3. Try the task again. If the error no longer occurs, run a Data File Integrity Check to ensure there are no errors in the data.
    Note: Detailed information regarding the consequences of resetting users can be found in R10789, Resetting Users.

  • Check the Error Log. Determine whether any users have had any problems on the network or in Tabs3 by checking the Error Log file (View | Log Files | Error Log).
    1. For users who have recently had problems on the network, verify that those users are not still in the software.
       • If the user(s) that had problems is frozen, then end the program. Use the Task Manager if necessary.
       • Nobody should use the Tabs3/PracticeMaster software until those user(s) have exited.
    2. After those user(s) have exited the software, have the user(s) either:
       • Log out of the network and log back in; or
       • Reboot and log back into the network.
    3. Try the task again. If the error no longer occurs, run a Data File Integrity Check to ensure there are no errors in the data.

  • Check the file server for open files.
    • KB Article R10028 contains information on how to check for open files on Windows servers. KB Article R10181 contains information on how to check for open files on Novell NetWare.
      1. DO NOT close the open files using these utilities. Once you determine which files are open on which workstation, have those workstations either:
         • Log out of the network and log back in; or
         • Reboot and log back into the network.
      2. Try the task again. If the error no longer occurs, run a Data File Integrity Check to ensure there are no errors in the data.
    • Note: Be aware that the above techniques only find files that were opened on the server across the network. They do not find files that were opened by programs running locally on the file server (e.g., CSV components, antivirus software, etc.) You may need to use a utility that checks for locally opened files on the file server such as Process Explorer (see Microsoft KB How to Article 242131, Display a List of Processes That Have Files Open).

  • Restart STI Server and the Director. If using the Client Server Version (CSV), try restarting the STI Server and the Director.
    • After rebooting, try the task again. If the error no longer occurs, run a Data File Integrity Check to ensure there are no errors in the data.

  • Reboot all workstations. Keep in mind that simply rebooting the workstation does not close the file it opened on the file server; logging back into the network closes the open file.
    • If using Terminal Services, reboot the Terminal Server.
    • After rebooting, try the task again. If the error no longer occurs, run a Data File Integrity Check to ensure there are no errors in the data.

  • Reboot the file server. Although rebooting the file server will close any open files, it is typically not a practical troubleshooting step when other courses of action are available.
    • After rebooting, try the task again. If the error no longer occurs, run a Data File Integrity Check to ensure there are no errors in the data.

• Check permissions. Each user must have all rights to the files in the program directory. You can check rights on a Novell network by typing "RIGHTS" at the network directory DOS prompt. If using a Windows Server, check for permissions by doing the following at the server:

Windows XP & Windows 2003 Server Note:  When a directory is shared in Windows XP or Windows 2003 Server, the default Share Permissions for other users is set to Read Only. The behavior is different from earlier versions of Windows where the default Share Permissions for other users is set to Full Control.

Note:  If a firm is using NTFS, this may be limiting the rights that the user(s) has to the directory. A good way to test this is to open a Command Prompt and change to the Tabs3 program directory and perform the following: 1) create a file; 2) rename the same file; and 3) delete the same file. If a user is able to do these three steps, then the user has sufficient NTFS rights to that particular directory.

Note:  Additional information regarding sharing files and folder over a network can be found in Microsoft's Knowledge Base at www.support.Microsoft.com. Article 324267 deals with a Windows Server 2003 domain environment and Article 301198 deals with a Windows 2000 environment.

• Check the file attributes. If the file has a "Read Only" attribute, change it to a "Read Write" attribute by performing the following steps.
1. Open the Windows Explorer.
2. Select the Tabs3 program directory.
3. Right-click the file that is listed in the error message.
4. Select Properties.
5. Clear the Read Only check box under Attributes.

• Make sure the current working directory is correct.

• Check for the specified IDX file. Does it exist? Can you rename it?

• Check the workstation's CONFIG.SYS file for the maximum number of open files allowed. Try increasing the number of files to 100 and rebooting the computer. If the workstation uses Windows 95 and no CONFIG.SYS file is present, Windows 95 defaults to 60 files, which may or may not be enough. Try creating a CONFIG.SYS file that has the line FILES=100 and then reboot the computer. The CONFIG.SYS file should be created in the root directory of the boot disk. (Note: Windows NT does not use CONFIG.SYS. There is no open file limit on the server or workstation.)

• Check the amount of hard disk space available.

• If you receive a fatal error message affecting CMARC0.IDX, run a Data File Integrity Check with the Check E-mail Attachments check box selected; this may provide additional information for troubleshooting purposes. We have had reports of 1610-x-12-x in CMARC0.IDX when checking out PracticeMaster Briefcase data while Data File Integrity Check warnings exist. Correct all warnings using the information found in KB Article R11008, "Journal Attachment Errors" and attempt to check out Briefcase data again.

• See also: General Troubleshooting

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The File Handler error 13 is "Unknown File Type". This is found on the File Handler Errors list.

• Rebuild the affected index file. If the error is in COIMAINW.IDX or COIPHONW.IDX, please see the section of this article titled Rebuilding the Conflict of Interest Index Files.
  
• Run the Data File Integrity Check (DFIC) to ensure that there are no errors. If you receive a fatal error message affecting the CMARC0.IDX file when running the DFIC, rename the file and run the DFIC again. If the DFIC still crashes with a fatal error, you must restore your PracticeMaster data from a backup.

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The File Handler error 14 is "File Corrupt At Open". This is found on the File Handler Errors list.

• Rebuild the affected index file. If the error is in COIMAINW.IDX or COIPHONW.IDX, please see the section of this article titled Rebuilding the Conflict of Interest Index Files.

• If you receive a fatal error message affecting CMARC0.IDX, delete this file from the program directory (if it exists), then reindex the E-mail Attachments index file. We have had reports of a 1610-x-12-x in CMARC0.IDX when attempting to run a Data File Integrity Check with the Check E-mail Attachments check box selected when the CMARC0.IDX file is corrupted or missing.

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The File Handler error 36 is "Read error: check sysiocod error". This is found on the File Handler Errors List. The sysiocod may provide information on the cause of the error.

• Rebuild the affected index file. If the error is in COIMAINW.IDX or COIPHONW.IDX, please see the section of this article titled Rebuilding the Conflict of Interest Index Files.
• Run the Data File Integrity Check to ensure that there are no errors. If you receive a fatal error message affecting the CMARC0.IDX file when running the DFIC, rename the file and run the DFIC again. If the DFIC still crashes with a fatal error, you must restore your PracticeMaster data from a backup.

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1610-x-x-64

• This error can result from a temporary loss of Network Connection.

• See KB Article R11289 - Troubleshooting Error Code 64: Network Name No Longer Available

• See also: General Troubleshooting

• See KB Article R10184 - Network Troubleshooting Guide

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• Run the Data File Integrity Check (DFIC) and/or Archive File Integrity Check (AFIC) if possible. The DFIC and AFIC will report errors if the data has become corrupted. If errors are reported, correct them and then try to recreate the fatal error.

• The index file could be corrupted. If the error is in COIMAINW.IDX or COIPHONW.IDX, please see the section of this article titled Rebuilding the Conflict of Interest Index Files.

• The program file may be damaged. Reinstall the software. See KB Article R11367, "How to Reinstall Tabs3 and PracticeMaster Version 16 Software".

• If you are running in a network environment, see KB Article R10184, "Network Troubleshooting Guide".

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Rebuilding the Conflict of Interest Index Files

The Conflict of Interest index files are rebuilt using the Search Settings program rather than the Reindex Files program. 

To rebuild the Conflict of Interest index files in Version 14.3 and above

1. From the Search menu option, select Search Settings.
2. Select the Rebuild Index tab.
3. Select the Indexes that you want to rebuild, and then click Rebuild Now. If the error is in COIMAIN.IDX or COIPHONW.IDX, it is only necessary to rebuild the Conflict/Contact Index.
   Note: Rebuilding the E-mail Attachments Index and the Linked Documents Index can take a long time. Since Search Settings is an exclusive task, we recommend rebuilding them later so that users can get back into the software as soon as possible. Due to the time it may take, using a startup option to rebuild indexes after hours may be a preferable option (see Note below).
4. When the Task Completed dialog appears, click OK.

Note: If you cannot start PracticeMaster successfully to access the Search Settings program, you can use the /CONFLICT startup option to automatically start rebuilding the conflict of interest index files. To do this, right-click your PracticeMaster desktop shortcut, select Properties, add /CONFLICT to the end of the Target field, and click OK to save the changes. Double-click the shortcut to start PracticeMaster. Once the rebuild is complete, don't forget to remove /CONFLICT from the shortcut.

For more information on startup options, see KB Article R11034, "Automating Tabs3 and PracticeMaster Maintenance Tasks".

To rebuild the Conflict of Interest index files in Version 14.2 and older

The Conflict of Interest index files are rebuilt using the Conflict of Interest Configuration program rather than the Reindex Files program.

1. From the PracticeMaster menu, select Maintenance | Conflict of Interest | Configuration.
2. Make sure the Rebuild Conflict of Interest Index Files option is selected. This option is selected by default.
3. Click OK to rebuild the files.

Detailed information about the Conflict of Interest index files is available in KB Article R10515 - Technical Information on PracticeMaster Conflict of Interest.

REFERENCES

• KB Article R10044 - How to Interpret Fatal Error Messages
• KB Article R10184 - Network Troubleshooting Guide
• KB Article R10515 - Technical Information on PracticeMaster Conflict of Interest
• KB Article R11367 - How to Reinstall Tabs3 and PracticeMaster Version 16 Software
• KB Article R11257 - How to Reinstall Tabs3 and PracticeMaster Version 15 Software
• KB Article R11010 - How to Reinstall Tabs3 and PracticeMaster Software (Version 14 & 12)

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