Another meaningless error message

[jhiker]

Using M-Files.
I am trying to check out a model from 2017 and I get this message.
Alibre will not open it but M-Files will show it as checked out.
The pop-up means nothing to me.
I do not know whether it's significant but there appear to be two copies in M-Files. How? I know not.
Any ideas?

 

[DavidJ]

Have you been using Microsoft print to PDF ? It doesn't automatically set file extension to PDF, so if working from an AD file it will generate a PDF file with the the extension AD_PRT or AD_ASM (etc.) In Windows this will typically overwrite your part/assembly, leading to data loss. Hopefully M-Files has saved you from that.

Ways to check - try opening the file in a text editor (look at structure to see what it is), OR change the extension to PDF and try opening.

EDIT - see also https://alibreforum.com/forum/index...printing-2d-drawing-to-pdf.21320/#post-137792

 

[jhiker]

No - I've not been using MS Print to PDF but I have an update...
I searched M-Files on that part number 'a11a477*' and it threw up three files all with the same name, all created at the same time, but one with a recent modification.
That file opened OK.
The others give the error message when I try to open them. I notice they do not show a preview and they have no 'relationships' or version history.

I think I'll risk deleting the two rogue files.

 

[DavidJ]

The 'file already exists' message is what you would get if trying to open a PDF (with AD_xxx extension) with Alibre (which is what made me suggest it).

 

[jhiker]

Another user may have tried that - I'll inquire.
I did download and put the two 'Alibre Design Exercise' guides into M-Files a couple of days ago but as far as I can tell they have .PDF extensions. They open up in my PDF Xchange viewer just fine. I wouldn't have thought that was a problem but seeing as you mentioned PDF...
I have deleted the two rogue files without any apparent ill-effects