19480 "The requested value cannot be determined"

[chrisjj]

What on earth is this error message supposed to mean?

My copy is: http://i.imgur.com/fja4fES.png

"12 errors" says:

Unable to copy R:\Curtain\60s\Quiet\02480002928225-1-663.wma: The requested value cannot be determined
Unable to copy R:\Curtain\60s\Quiet\02480002928225-1-664.wma: The requested value cannot be determined
Unable to copy R:\Curtain\60s\Quiet\02480002928225-1-665.wma: The requested value cannot be determined
Unable to copy R:\Curtain\60s\Quiet\02480002928225-1-666.wma: The requested value cannot be determined
Unable to copy R:\Curtain\60s\Quiet\02480002928225-1-667.wma: The requested value cannot be determined
Unable to copy R:\Curtain\60s\Quiet\02480002928225-1-668.wma: The requested value cannot be determined
Unable to copy R:\Curtain\60s\Quiet\02480002928225-1-669.wma: The requested value cannot be determined
Unable to copy R:\Curtain\60s\Quiet\02480002928225-1-670.wma: The requested value cannot be determined
Unable to copy R:\Curtain\60s\Quiet\02480002928225-1-671.wma: The requested value cannot be determined
Unable to copy R:\Curtain\60s\Quiet\02480002928225-1-672.wma: The requested value cannot be determined
Unable to copy R:\Curtain\60s\Quiet\02480002928225-1-673.wma: The requested value cannot be determined

[Aaron]

Hello,

Thanks for the report. That's not an error message we are generating, but one we are getting back from Windows and displaying.
Beyond Compare 4 uses the same base copy method as Explorer, and for some reason is hitting this error when attempting to copy these files. If you retry the copy, does the error reproduce for them? If you try the same copy in Windows Explorer (same source, destination), do you see any error prompts or dialogs appear?

[chrisjj]

That's not an error message we are generating, but one we are getting back from Windows and displaying.

Presumably it's you that's requesting the value.

Any idea what this error means?

[Chris]

This isn't an error message I'm familiar with.

As Aaron suggested, it might help to try copying the same files in Windows Explorer to see if it generates an error.

[chrisjj]

Thanks. Explorer does not give that error. It gives a different and comprehensible error when device runs out of space.

[Aaron]

Testing with our own test Zen, we also display "Unable to Copy filename. There is not enough space on the disk" when the device is out of disk space.

[chrisjj]

Thanks. Any idea what the error "The requested value cannot be determined" means?

[Aaron]

No, it would be text passed back from the copy method. If it's a size issue, I'd expect us to have similar text, based on my own testing. Maybe it's a subtle difference in Zen hardware that passes back a better error string in the one we have.

[chrisjj]

Which copy method, please?

[Zoë]

What difference does that make?

The error message is being returned by the device driver. The most likely place where that specific error would be returned from is after it tells us that the copy succeeded when we ask it for the details of the newly created file. Since you said the device was out of space that doesn't make sense, which would imply that it actually isn't handling the out of space error correctly and that our Zen is. No, we can't improve the error message because that's what the system told us happened.

If you must know, the specific functions involved would be IPortableDeviceContent.CreateObjectWithPropertiesA ndData, IStream.Read, IStream.Write, IStream.Commit, or IPortableDeviceDataStream.GetObjectID, and the error string corresponds to the UI_E_VALUE_NOT_DETERMINED OLE error code.

[chrisjj]

Since you said the device was out of space

I didn't.

If you must know, the specific functions involved would be IPortableDeviceContent.CreateObjectWithPropertiesA ndData, IStream.Read, IStream.Write, IStream.Commit, or IPortableDeviceDataStream.GetObjectID, and the error string corresponds to the UI_E_VALUE_NOT_DETERMINED OLE error code.

Thanks. Any idea what value you are requesting?

[Zoë]

I didn't.

Ah, I misread your earlier post that it was giving a correct response when it ran out of space.

Thanks. Any idea what value you are requesting?

It's either the ObjectID or one of the basic metadata items (name, object type, size, modified time). The ObjectID is just the value that the API uses to uniquely identify each file, like an inode in Unix. I have no idea why requesting any of those would fail. In the case of the secondary metadata, the code already handles getting a partial set of data back, which would mean if that's the function that's failing the device is erroring the entire request.

You've given little context though, so I'm guessing. The initial error report didn't even say that a portable device was involved. It looks like you're trying to transfer an album. Is it failing for all of the songs on the album? Is it failing for all .wma files? Are those files protected by digital rights management? If so, what kind? Can you transfer the files using another MTP-supporting app (not Explorer), such as MediaMonkey or Songbird?

[chrisjj]

It's either the ObjectID or one of the basic metadata items (name, object type, size, modified time). The ObjectID is just the value that the API uses to uniquely identify each file, like an inode in Unix. I have no idea why requesting any of those would fail. In the case of the secondary metadata, the code already handles getting a partial set of data back, which would mean if that's the function that's failing the device is erroring the entire request.

So this BC copy to the device is querying an object on the device?

You've given little context though, so I'm guessing. The initial error report didn't even say that a portable device was involved.

The screenshot shows MTP.

It looks like you're trying to transfer an album.

No. A few thousand files.

Is it failing for all of the songs on the album?

Not all in the set. Not an specific files in the set.

Is it failing for all .wma files? Are those files protected by digital rights management?

No and no.

Can you transfer the files using another MTP-supporting app (not Explorer), such as MediaMonkey or Songbird?

Unlikely. I have found both to be generally unreliable on MTP.

[Zoë]

So this BC copy to the device is querying an object on the device?

The MTP API uses ObjectIDs to identify items, rather than the filenames themselves. The only way to get that ObjectID is to either read the entire directory again or ask the device for it at the end of a transfer. So yes, it copies to the device then it asks for the new file's ObjectID, then asks for the metadata for that ObjectID. It's no different than using GetFileAttributesEx on a local file after a copy, or the FTP LIST we do after uploading to an FTP site.

Unlikely. I have found both to be generally unreliable on MTP.

To be fair, most device manufacturers only test against Explorer. libmtp on Linux/OS X has issues with numerous devices because they rely on specifics of Explorer's behavior rather than supporting the spec properly.

Unfortunately, I don't think there's much I can do without reproducing it inhouse or at least some indication of what made those files or that specific transfer fail.

[chrisjj]

So yes, it copies to the device then it asks for the new file's ObjectID, then asks for the metadata for that ObjectID.

OK. Seems really odd that this can fail, then.

To be fair, most device manufacturers only test against Explorer. libmtp on Linux/OS X has issues with numerous devices because they rely on specifics of Explorer's behavior rather than supporting the spec properly.

I tried MediaMonkey. It doesn't show this problem. It succeeded in filling the available space before reporting appropriately: http://i.imgur.com/kwVvOdw.png . And specifically it succeeds on the first file of the BC fail -- showing in BC:
http://i.imgur.com/WKEZuyu.png .

FWIW, after MM, attempting with BC BC4 does not given the mystery error. It appropriately gives e.g. "Unable to copy R:\Curtain\60s\Normal\02480002900108-4-13.wma: There is not enough space on the disk".

Unfortunately, I don't think there's much I can do without reproducing it inhouse or at least some indication of what made those files or that specific transfer fail.

BTW, in case it is relevant, every attempt to delete the folder left by the above fail has itself failed: http://i.imgur.com/brU2XSz.png .

Unable to delete mtp://My Zen/Storage Media/Music/Curtain: Delete failed.