Catalina issue: File I/O, file not found error (-43)

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9 points

Catalina issue: File I/O, file not found error (-43)

Hi there. I recently upgraded to Catalina (10.15.5), and I now get an error message when I save files to an external drive.

The error message only seems to happen with one software application: MOTU's Digital Performer (music recording software). When I save a project file, I get an error message that says...

Digital Performer has encountered an error.

OS error reported by File I/O:

File not found (-43)

Additional information:

(And then there is no additional information.)

Fortunately, the file is still saved, but I get this error message every time. It only happens with Digital Performer (not with Logic, for example), and only with this hard drive.

The hard drive is a Lacie rugged 1 TB drive that is formatted as exFAT—which is how is came. Another external drive (which does not have this issue) is formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Does Catalina have problems with exFAT?

Things I've tried to resolve the issue:

—Worked with projects on my internal hard drive: No error.

—Started a project on the internal drive, then moved it to the external drive: I get the error again.

—Started a new project on the external drive: Same error.

—Done a "save as" on the external drive: Same error.

—Ran disk utility on the external drive: Same error.

—Re-indexed the external drive: Same error.

—Checked the privacy settings in system preferences. I currently have Digital Performer set to Full Disk Access. I tried removing that access too. Either way, I still get the error message.

Any suggestions?

I'd like to avoid having to reformat the external drive, since I have about 300 GB used. I can't help thinking it's some kind of permissions issue, but I'm not sure how to change that. Currently everything on the external drive is set to read and write. Is there more to do than that?

Thanks.

MacBook Pro

Posted on Jun 9, 2020 6:28 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

schmargle Author

Level 1

9 points

Jun 10, 2020 10:05 AM in response to VikingOSX

It looks like I was able to solve this issue.

I spoke to a tech support person at MOTU, who makes the Digital Performer software. He recommended (a) reinstalling the OS and/or (b) reformatting the drive. I reformatted the drive, using Mac OS Extended (Journaled), and that seems to have solved the problem.

So apparently Catalina has some issue with exFAT-formatted drives...which (for me) only appears when using Digital Performer. Anyway, if anyone finds this thread because they have a similar issue: try reformatting your external drive.

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Answer 2

Jun 9, 2020 7:18 AM in response to schmargle

Are you running the latest update of the Digital Performer software? Talked with their support team about using exFAT formatted drives?

The fact that your current version works properly with HFS+, but not with exFAT may be an application, rather than operating system issue.

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Answer 3

schmargle Author

Level 1

9 points

Jun 9, 2020 7:24 AM in response to VikingOSX

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I'm also exploring the possibility that it's Digital Performer, though it's definitely the upgrade to Catalina that caused the issue to show up.

I upgraded to Catalina while using DP 9.52 (which is not officially supported on Catalina), and I saw the error. So I bought a DP upgrade to 10.11 (which does support Catalina), and I still saw the error.

Since upgrading to Catalina, many applications prompt me to grant the application access to this or that when first launching. I wonder if DP didn't ask me for some reason, or if there's something I need to do to grant DP access to the files on the drive. ...Though since I'm not having trouble with the other external drive, it seems like the drive formatting is more likely the issue.

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Answer 4

Jun 9, 2020 7:34 AM in response to schmargle

Because you were using DP 9.52 on an operating system that it was officially supported with prior to the Catalina upgrade. Once you attempt to use an older application version knowingly unsupported with Catalina, then how that application behaves in an even tighter security operating system (all those d**n permission prompts), and different SDK framework changes can lead to new issues.

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Answer 5

schmargle Author

Level 1

9 points

Jun 9, 2020 7:25 AM in response to schmargle

Oh, and just to be clear: DP worked with the external drive just fine before upgrading to Catalina.

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