"Error Opening File" for root items

Panels
#1

Hello there. I have pdf, cbz, and cbr files I read via an external ssd I connect to my iPad for this app. Normally, after connecting the external drive to my ipad via USB C connection, I’m able to access that specific library and able to quickly select and view a comic. Lately, I’ve been having issues where, if an item is in root, or within only one folder, I can’t open it. I get an “Error Opening File” no matter what I do. I have some series within folders, and when I get that error, I simply go back a folder or 2, and then click back into that series folder, and I’m able to open any cbz/cbr/pdf within that folder.

I’m thinking this has to do with indexing. It’s strange that indexing has to occur everytime I connect my external drive to my iPad, because I already had “.Panels” files from when it indexed (or I thought it was indexing at least) way before. I’m also wondering if this has to do with the latest update or not, because I’ve only just started having this issue. Been using the app for a year now, and didn’t have this issue beforehand.

I bring up indexing as a possible issue because whenever I click to see the status after I connect my drive, not only is it indexing once again (even though I’ve indexed all my files a year ago so I could have an optimal reading experience), it doesn’t even show that it IS indexing. What I mean is, it’ll say “indexing 0/40 files”, and then stay stuck there. Hmm… yeah I’m not 100% sure what’s going on, let me know what troubleshooting steps I should take for this.

#2

iOS support for external storage via USB is quite finicky. I suspect that iOS is disconnecting and reconnecting the drive, and the previously indexed routes change.

Does this happen with files stored on the device?

#3

No, it doesn’t. So it must be with the USB external storage I’m using. I have mitigated this issue by simply placing loose files in folders, to sorta “trick” this indexing process and I no longer get errors. The only reason I’ve been using external storage in the first place is because my iPad storage is incredibly low. For the future, I should be fine. I’ll probably get a higher storage iPad at some point though, for better performance.

1 Like
#4

That’s interesting. Could you describe how the folder was organized when it was behaving weird?

What I’m getting from your last message is that having empty folders is the cause of the problem. Is that so?
I’m a bit confused by the workaround :sweat_smile:

#5

Yeah, sure thing, I’ll explain what I mean.

So, when I was encountering this issue, I had two folders - one called “Strategy guides and more” for Gaming magazines and strategy guides (and more) that I found online (like Game Informer, which was released for free online via digital preservation concerns), and then I had a folder for “Manga” which contains manga I have physically bought and scanned at my house. Both sets of files are in either “.cbz” or “.pdf”.

Within each of those 2 folders, are more individual folders to organize the graphic novels further. However, for standalone items, that, for example, exist within “Strategy guides and more” folder, and then don’t have any more folders they are inside of (their filepath would be “Strategy guides and more/” and that’s it), I lately had an issue where, no matter what I would do, Panels refused to open that pdf/cbz file. I would try to go back (by hitting the back arrow) to get out of the “Strategy guides and more” folder and get back to the root directory of the external drive I connected my iPad to, and then re-enter that folder by clicking on it, again within the Panels app. Typically, in the past, this trick would work, and I would be able to access that digital book. However, lately, I’ve found that trick no longer works, and Panels will continue to say it cannot open the file.

One thing I recently tried, and explained earlier (albeit I wasn’t super descriptive, so I’ll explain it more in detail now) was that I would take that pdf/cbz and nest it inside another folder. I would first connect my external drive to a computer, and create another system folder, and then move that pdf/cbz file into that folder. So, from the previous scenario, our example digital book that was failing to open beforehand would now be stored in the filepath “Strategy guides and more/nested folder”. Now, when I reconnect my external drive to my iPad, open up Panels, and navigate to that exact filepath within the app, and try to open the digital book, I’m able to do so. For whatever reason, when I’m inside that “nested folder” it’ll open without fail.

Funny little workaround, but it works. In the past, I didn’t have to do this, but I’m fine with adapting to this. For what it’s worth, I have updated Panels to the latest version, and my iPad is also on the latest OS as well.

#6

Thank you so much for the detailed explanation :pray:

I’m going to try reproducing the issue on my end using an external drive and see what I can find.
You shouldn’t have to do that workaround.

I’ll get back to you if I find a way to reproduce it and get the specific error.

Additionally, I’ll include some remote logs and gather as much information as possible, so that when you or someone else reencounters this error, I can have sufficient telemetry to understand what’s causing the issue.