i have the following error message and my folders have stopped syncing.
WARNING: Loading ignores: CreateFile [\?\D:\PJM](file://%3f/D:/PJM) Sync Folders\Sync General.stignore: The device is not ready.
Folders Sync Status is set at “stopped”.
The sync folders are on external hard drive. Drive D: The directory on the drive is D:/PJM Sync Folders/ and this is where i have my sync folders. We are syncing folders between 8 computers.
It was working fine when just two computers were syncing but then more computers approved to sync to this new computer and then the problem started.
I am just a user, i am not a developer and i don’t know how to write code.
Can you post a screenshot of the Syncthing Web GUI with the error visible there?
The “device is not ready” message itself likely comes from Windows. Are you sure the USB connection between the external hard drive and the computer is stable? What kind of an external HDD is it specifically?
Just a guess, but the above could indicate that the HDD disconnects when under heavier load. I’ve experienced similar issues quite a few times with multiple external drives (either HDD or flash). Sometimes, the culprit was just a flaky controller, which couldn’t sustain heavy loads. Other times, the drive had used to work fine for the first few years, but then it began to fail once it got older. I’ve also had a case of a faulty USB cable.
Of course, your problem may be something completely different, but I’d start with checking the basic things first, e.g. replace the cable, etc. and see whether there’s any difference.
Also, what’s the overall condition of the drive? Have you checked the SMART data for it? You may also want to check the Event Viewer in Windows to see whether there’s anything related recorded there.
Thanks so much for the reply. I agree and thanks for pointing me the probability that the problem is related to the external hard drive. To remedy the issue, I removed the folders which were all pointing to drive D, then i went to Windows disk manager and reassigned the external drive to letter L:. Then added the folders back all pointing to the external disk drive letter L: and everything is working with out any errors. Thanks again for your reply. Very much appreciated!