Files/Folders Appear Only After Long Delay

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Level 5

4,321 points

Files/Folders Appear Only After Long Delay

Sometimes when I create a file or folder ("item") from within an application, and then I open a finder window to view the item, the item won't appear. If I wait long enough the item will finally appear, but it's totally random as to how long it takes to show up. When the wait times are long (typical), it presents a situation that is incredibly frustrating beyond words.

So my questions are:

1. Why, on a dp 2.7 GHz computer isn't the system fast enough to update the directories with blindingly silly speed?

2. Shouldn't simply opening a finder window be enough to cause directories to update? (I say this based on how OS 9 used to work. Make a file or folder and it was THERE immediately)

3. Is there the equivalent of a "refresh" command to update the file display of a finder window?

4. Is there a fix for this situation so that I wouldn't have to resort to any kind of "refresh" (if it even exists)?

(Sidebar: I discovered today that creating a new folder in the same directory as the item-that-won't-show-itself will "force" that item to appear, but this is not an acceptable workaround.)

G5, dual 2.7G, 2.5G RAM, Mac OS X (10.4.3), LP7.1.1, MOTU 424/2408/1224 x 2

Posted on Mar 6, 2006 7:35 PM

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Answer 1

Ferd II

Level 10

104,239 points

Mar 6, 2006 8:46 PM in response to iSchwartz

iSchwartz,

If you are using .Mac iDisk Syncing, I recall reading that turning off iDisk Syncing solves the problems you are describing.

;~)

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Answer 2

iSchwartz Author

Level 5

4,321 points

Mar 6, 2006 9:06 PM in response to Ferd II

Thanks Ferd. Unfortunately, I'm not using an iDisk or accessing .mac anything.

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Answer 3

Ferd II

Level 10

104,239 points

Mar 6, 2006 9:49 PM in response to iSchwartz

iSchwartz,

Unfortunately, I can only sympathize and agree with your first two questions.

Tuning Mac OS X Performance, by Dr. Smoke may offer some troubleshooting steps for your poor system performance.

Perhaps someone who is familiar with your peripherals will offer more viable suggestions.

;~)

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Answer 4

Mar 7, 2006 3:56 AM in response to iSchwartz

We have a network of nearly 40 macs, Panther Server, mostly panther clients but the newer machines are on 10.4.

All of the newer machines exhibit the problem that iSchwartz is mentioning. this happens locally with files on the desktop and also for files saved to the server. I contacted Apple regarding this but because we only have APP on our desktop machines not the server they said it must be a server issue and I would have to pay for an incedent. NICE. They said that there is no issue like this with 10.4 or 10.4 interacting with a 10.3 server (I beg to differ).

I have tried various things to correct this e.g. repairing permissions, complete reformat and clean install on a test machine, turning off IPv6 on both the server and the client (though as I said before this issue occurs on the client desktop as well, so it is not "a server issue")

Interestingly I would agree that this is some kind of refresh issue as if you navigate to the directory using the terminal and listing the contents all the files are there both locally and on a server volume.

Additionally Files that cannot be seen by the client which saved them can be seen by other clients. These two points would fairly clearly point at a refresh issue. (by the way disconnecting and reconnecting to a shared volume is not a fix, opening/closing a folder or changing the view does not force a refresh)

Any help would be much apreciated, one machine I would accept as a glitch but all of the 10.4 machines in the building looks more like an issue to me.

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