Millisecond Forums

I would need to see the script as well as basic information on the environment you're running this in, i.e. under Inquisit Web or Lab, how are the machines set up, e.g. are files saved to a network location, etc.

Offhand,

> files are being renamed to ".altered.dat" and creating new files everyday

doesn't sound like something Inquisit would do, but some other process on the machines in question.

We are using Lab on surface pros. The files are saved to Box using Box Sync. Do you think using a cloud software is what could be causing problems? We are working on a link to share with you containing only the files you need. I do have a picture of the error that Inquisit is throwing so I'll attach it now.

Thank you!

Here is a better picture!

Dave,

Attached is an example script that has been creating the "altered" files. If you want access to the whole folder, I can share it with you on Box. 

Jeff

Thanks for the info -- this looks to be caused by the Box client on the computer in all likelihood. The Box sync process might have a lock on the original file, meaning Inquisit cannot add any data to it or makes some other change to the file (e.g. changing or adding some bits in the original to indicate its sync status) that causes Inquisit to no longer recognize and be able to write to that file.

It's probably the latter. You can simulate this manually by doing something like the following:
(1) Have Inquisit create a data file with the data for a bunch of runs. You'll end up with something that looks like this:



You see that the data from multiple runs was properly appended to the data file. Now,

(2) Open the file in e.g. Notepad and add some info to it that breaks its format, e.g.



Save and close the file. Then,

(3) Conduct another run with Inquisit. You'll see the same error thrown and a fresh file created:

Your diagnosis is in all probability the correct one, Dave, but are there any other conditions that would trigger this behavior from Inquisit? When this was happening, it was a single user running the script, and the behavior has been erratic to say the least so it's difficult for me to declare Box as the culprit definitively. 

Jeff

I've added a way to reproduce this manually to my response above, I am fairly certain it's caused by some format-breaking change to the file, presumably by the Box client. The erratic behavior may well be due to when exactly Box syncs and/or checks and updates the file's status.