Error since files resides on Dropbox

I have put my *.manager files in my Dropbox as it is convenient for me to have access to them at other places. But now I constantly get error messages, like:

<div style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; background-color: #ffffcc; border-radius: 10px; border: 10px solid darkred; padding: 50px; position: absolute; top: 100px; left: 100px; right: 100px"><p style="font-size: 32px; font-weight: bold">Internal Error</p><p>Sorry, something went wrong.</p><p>Please report this error to <b>bugs@manager.io</b>.</p><p>Also, please include the following information in your error report:</p><p><pre>17.4.36 (Desktop)</pre></p><pre><b>/supplier-form?Referrer=12222daa-e767-4776-8ad8-fa418d03a818</b></pre><pre><b>SQLite.SQLiteException: ReadOnly

   bij SQLite.PreparedSqlLiteInsertCommand.ExecuteNonQuery(Object[] source)

   bij SQLite.SQLiteConnection.Insert(Object obj, String extra, Type objType)

   bij Manager.ApplicationData.PutMany(Object[] objects)

   bij Manager.ApplicationData.Put(Object o)

   bij ManagerServer.HttpHandlers.Form`1.Post()

   bij HttpFramework.HttpApplication.ProcessRequest(HttpRequest request, HttpResponse response)

   bij ManagerServer.HttpApplication.ProcessRequest(HttpRequest request, HttpResponse response)</b></pre>
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and:

<div style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; background-color: #ffffcc; border-radius: 10px; border: 10px solid darkred; padding: 50px; position: absolute; top: 100px; left: 100px; right: 100px"><p style="font-size: 32px; font-weight: bold">Internal Error</p><p>Sorry, something went wrong.</p><p>Please report this error to <b>bugs@manager.io</b>.</p><p>Also, please include the following information in your error report:</p><p><pre>17.4.44 (Desktop)</pre></p><pre><b>/number-format-form?Referrer=9b8ff178-6073-427e-be2e-0b4df904eb4b&Key=7bf18ff5-d0a5-4413-8268-dbc463316c57</b></pre><pre><b>SQLite.SQLiteException: ReadOnly

   bij SQLite.PreparedSqlLiteInsertCommand.ExecuteNonQuery(Object[] source)

   bij SQLite.SQLiteConnection.Insert(Object obj, String extra, Type objType)

   bij Manager.ApplicationData.PutMany(Object[] objects)

   bij Manager.ApplicationData.Put(Object o)

   bij ManagerServer.HttpHandlers.Form`1.Post()

   bij HttpFramework.HttpApplication.ProcessRequest(HttpRequest request, HttpResponse response)

   bij ManagerServer.HttpApplication.ProcessRequest(HttpRequest request, HttpResponse response)</b></pre>
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Several frequently-seen status codes have "friendly" error messages 
that Internet Explorer 5.x displays and that effectively mask the 
actual text message that the server sends.
However, these "friendly" error messages are only displayed if the 
response that is sent to the client is less than or equal to a 
specified threshold.
For example, to see the exact text of an HTTP 500 response, 
the content length must be greater than 512 bytes.
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I already have paused synchronization of Dropbox, but that does not solve the problem.
I am using Manager 17.4.44 on Windows 10.
Anyone familiar with this problem? Any solutions, as it is very annoying and I cannot continue working with Manager.

looks like permission error.
Can you please check/advise:
(1) if said file is opened somewhere else.
(2) if you can create file in same directory where *.manager file was copied.
(3) can you check file permissions of said *.manager file → Take ownership of files and get full access in Windows 10

Yes, I was thinking of that too. After some minutes I can do what I was doing and there is no problem, but when I want to do another action in Manager it immediately gives the same problem, but after some minutes . . . and so on and on.
So it has something to do with a temporarily readonly state of the *.manager file. That is also why I paused synchronization in Dropbox. I checked everything and it seems there is no problem; I have full access on the file.

I am thinking now it may have something to do with my automatic backup of files. I use Memeo Backup Professional; every time a file is altered (and written to disk, of course) Memeo backs it up. I never have problems with it, that’s why I was not thinking this could be the cause, but I will try out by pausing this automatic backup to see whether that will solve it.

I will get back on this.

Yes, apparently this was what was troubling. After pausing my automatic backup there is no problem at all. Strange only that before this I did not have a problem with it. Perhaps it has something to do with my LAN being momentarily slow?

As of now, it seems it is solved; I can use Manager again at full speed. Thanks for your concern!

I think what I will have to do is implement some loop so if writing into database fails due to ReadOnly, Manager would wait a second and try again. Maybe repeat several times until the write goes through. This way ReadOnly wouldn’t bubble up into user’s face.

@lubos
If that could be possible, it would be nice! For the moment I am alert that when this happens with Manager I will immediately pause my automatic backup and enable it again when I am ready with Manager.

The latest version (17.4.46) has a mechanism to repeat attempts to write into database. So update to the latest version and enable your automatic backup to see if it’s working.

@lubos
Installed new version and tried-out with my automatic backup enabled: it works!
It takes about 10 secs that Manager is trying to write new data and (apparently) my backup program backs up the latest altered version of the database in use. It did this with the sample Northwind.manager file: size 1.84 MB.
Great! Thanks for your concern!

Well, I’m still concerned about 10 second delay. That’s too long. Maybe I will make Manager obtain lock on the file when it’s open. That way automatic backup will occur only after the program is closed. However, this exposes users who’d have Manager open all the time. Something I will need to think about.

@lubos, this is one of the reason I want the backup function in Manager to be available, as it help to renamed the file by date so it would, prevent errors. (Create copy) while opening on-going use .manager file

It is still with some problems. When I want to make an attachment to an invoice I now get the error: “SQLiteException: ReadOnly” which again has to do with my automatic backup. I will have to wait until my automatic backup is finished (10 secs) and then I can make the attachment without any problem. I will check whether I can do an adjustment to Memeo Backup Professional so it will wait for some seconds before trying to backup a file. I am now using Manager desktop Windows version 17.4.59

You are always going to strike problems when two conflicting processes happen concurrently - one has to lead and the other has to wait. Why do you need such constant/instant - automatic backup ?

It is really very convenient: I never have to check whether I have a backup of a file, it’s all automatic. For me it is the first time I have trouble with it, in the way that Manager writes every change to the appropriate file, and then Memeo wants to back it up, but I am already doing a different modification with Manager, so Manager gives the warning and my modification is not done (at least not written to file), as Memeo temporarely gives the file the status of being locked.
Of course I can exclude all my *.manager files from being back-upped with Memeo and then do a different backup for them, like with the small program DropIt. It checks with an interval in time, set by myself, if a file is changed. If so, it makes a copy of it at a place I define.

Remember that when you close Manager, a backup is copied to Dropbox cloud, but that’s assuming the internet is connected.

Yes, so you mean: as the cloud version of Dropbox is already a copy - and so a kind of backup - I can exclude the *.manager files from my automatic backup by Memeo. I only need to remember - should it be necessary - that I do not have backups of the *.manager files in my regularly backup, but I should look at the ones in the Dropbox cloud. OK, that will do until @lubos has worked out ‘lock on the file when it’s open’.

Yes,

Using the Manager Backup button “occasionally” will mean that there is a separate backup which can also be stored on Dropbox.

Thanks! I will try this solution.