Critical Working Folder Cannot be Accessed or is Not Writable

[streetcleaner]

Hi, I've been using ConvertXtoDVD 7.0.0.64 for a long while now without any problems.

Today, my first conversion went without a hitch as normal. However, when starting up ConvertXtoDVD a second time today, I was met with the message:


A critical working folder cannot be accessed or is not writable.
This software cannot operate without write access to standard file locations, such as AppData\VSO or ProgramData/VSO folders.

You may need to uninstall / reinstall software to restore write access to these folders.
Please also check that your antivirus solution is not preventing this write access.

Click OK to close this window and terminate the software.


Is there anything I can do without reinstalling the software? I'm worried that (a) I can't remember my license key details and (b) a reinstall might overwrite any templates I've got stored. This is also the reason why I've never updated to the later version of ConvertXtoDVD.

As far as I'm aware, nothing on my system changed in between my first conversion and starting up ConvertX for a second.

I'm not very tech savvy, so any help would be very much appreciated. I'm not sure how to upload logs, etc., if that's necessary. The warning message in ConvertXtoDVD doesn't allow me to access any of the tabs along the top of the menu now (File/Action/Default Settings, etc.).

[yoyo57]

Download latest version, do install, and on about 3rd screen in is an option to do clean install. The install will use your existing license, you do not have to enter any license details.

[streetcleaner]

Thank you for the reply, yoyo57.

Will a clean install of ConvertX 7.0.0.69 affect my templates and projects made for 7.0.0.64?
Will they be compatible with the newer version of ConvertX? I really don't want to start from scratch with any of these things.

Your help would be appreciated.

[dbminter]

I've used every gold release of CXD 7.x, including 0.69 which I'm on now. Every job I've saved in 7.x has been compatible with 0.69.

[streetcleaner]

That's good to know, dbminter. Thank you very much, that's very reassuring. I remember older versions of ConvertX where projects were no longer compatible once you upgraded to a newer version.

Would you also recommend I uninstall then reinstall the latest version? I still haven't attempted it yet, even though that seems to be the only option I've really got.

[dbminter]

That's where I'd start, at least. With uninstalling and reinstalling the software. Then, proceed to make sure those AppData, etc. folders actually exist where they say they should be. And, if they are, make sure the folders aren't Read Only or contain any Read Only files.

[streetcleaner]

I'm not sure where the AppData\VSO and ProgramData/VSO folders are meant to be located, if I'm honest. I'm also not sure how I would change them from being Read Only if they were?

I've got a VSO folder in Program Files (x86), but that's probably not it, I'm guessing? I've tried looking for both AppData\VSO and ProgramData/VSO and I'm probably looking in entirely the wrong place.

I've got a User\AppData\Roaming\VSO\ConvertXtoDVD\7 folder, but that only seems to have a couple of files with 'license' in the name.

[dbminter]

One thing I noticed before is "ProgramData/VSO." Folders cannot have a / in their names. It must be \.


The folders in question would be in the User folder and not the Program Files (x86) one, most likely.


To check for Read Only, right click on a folder in File Explorer and choose Properties. There will be a black check box by Read Only, but most folders show that even if there's nothing in the folder that is Read Only. So, you'd want to highlight all the files in the folder and choose Properties on those. If Read Only is showing checked for any files, uncheck the Read Only box.

[streetcleaner]

Yes, I did wonder about the "ProgramData/VSO" in the error dialog, but maybe it's just an error on ConvertX's part when it came to typing the dialog error message?

Your help with the Read Only thing is very much appreciated. I feel silly at how obvious that was, if I'm honest.

I still can't find any path on my C drive that leads to AppData\VSO or ProgramData\VSO, however. I was hoping that I could maybe locate them and see if they have become Read Only somehow, and I could fix things by unticking them without a reinstall?

[EDIT: Hold on, I just found the ProgramData\VSO folder... It's Read Only. It shouldn't be?]

[dbminter]

That / could be a typo. It depends upon if the error message is one that the programmers typed in or if the program is piping in the folder name from somewhere else and it's getting a / in there, which could result in a problem depending on the program logic.


Well, I THINK, and this is how stupid the whole affair with Windows is now, is that ALL folders are marked Read Only, even if their contents aren't Read Only on the individual files. Something to do with setting a folder Read Only and the desktop.ini file, which, to make things even more confusing, a desktop.ini folder can exist in ANY folder, even if it has nothing to do with your Desktop.


So, what I'd do is uncheck the Read Only box on that folder(s) and then enter the folder and check ALL files in the folder for their Properties and see if they're Read Only.

[streetcleaner]

Thanks for that, dbminter.

No joy, unfortunately. I unticked the Read Only box on the main AppData\VSO folder, checked some random files in the folder. The Read Only is now unticked on files, but ConvertX still starts up with the same error message.

Do you know where the AppData\VSO folder is located, by any chance? All I can seem to find is Users\User\AppData\Roaming\VSO. I can't seem to find any VSO related folders anywhere else in either of my other AppData folders, AppData\Default and AppData\Public.

[dbminter]

I did some searching. I have 3 VSO folders that would apply directly to the program execution in this case:

C:\Program Files (x86)\VSO

C:\ProgramData\VSO

C:\Users\<My Windows Account Name>\AppData\Roaming

[streetcleaner]

So it's the same as what I can find on my PC, I'm not overlooking things. Many thanks.

I'm still puzzling over that forward slash for ProgramData/VSO.

I think the only real option I have is to try an uninstall/reinstall? Well, it's late at night now, so I'll have to try something tomorrow. Thanks for your help, dbminter. If you can think of anything in the meantime, it would be appreciated.

[streetcleaner]

I booted up my PC this morning to discover my copy of ConvertX works again!

I can only imagine that the unticking of the Read Only folder worked after a reboot of the system?

Many thanks for that suggestion, dbminter.

[dbminter]

A reboot shouldn't have mattered, but whatever works works!


Did you try rebooting the system any time since reporting this CXD issue here? It may have simply just been an issue where a reboot may have fixed the problem. When it doubt, first reboot. :)

[streetcleaner]

My PC had a reboot between Friday, when the issue first appeared, and Saturday, and it was still present throughout Saturday. It was only after booting up on Sunday that the issue seems to have been resolved somehow. I'm going with "dbminter's very helpful suggestion to untick the Read Only folder and see what happens" as the magic fix.

[dbminter]

As I said, it's good, whatever works. In the future, though, it is my sage advice. :) When in doubt, first reboot. For any and all issues where you can reboot, try rebooting first. You'd be amazed at how many times the seemingly most complex issues can be fixed with so simple a thing as rebooting.


I also make it a habit to reboot my PC at least once a day. Usually between 11 AM and noon.