CDFinder Support
Basic
troubleshooting
CDFinder relies on the consistency of the catalog files and the
directory structures containing them. If you encounter crashes,
please try this:
- Check and repair all of your disk drives with Disk First
Aid.
- Delete the files CDFinder Preferences and CDFinder QuickLaunch
Cache in the Preferences folder. (you will need to re-enter your
license key again if you delete the Preferences file)
- Delete the Preferences file named "CDFinder.plist" if you have
trouble with any visual display of CDFinder
- If a single catalog file is damaged, it will often display
completely weird folder sizes. Just open any catalog file that
could have problems and check the folder sizes. If they are out of
range, delete that catalog and create a new one of that
volume.
- There is a surprising large number of damaged archive files
(any version!) out there. If you have problems while creating a new
catalog file, uncheck the "Look inside archives" options in the
Preferences window and try it again.
- Also, since CDFinder reads a lot of meta data now, any photo or
audio file can cause problems as well. Try to turn off the reading
of that meta data in the Preferences.
- Don't keep the catalog files directly in the application
folder. Create a new data folder outside the Applications area, and
put your catalog data files there.
- Make sure you use the most current version of CDFinder.
- If the problem remains, contact CDFinder support!
Also, any time CDFinder crashes, please make sure to send us the
crash log file, located in
/Users/yourName/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/CDFinder.crash.log
CDFinder crashes
when creating a new catalog of a particular CD-ROM or DVD. What can
I do?
That usually only happens when CDFinder opens a damaged archive
file, or tries to create a preview for a photo file.
Any time CDFinder crashes, please make sure to send us the crash
log file, located in
/Users/yourName/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/CDFinder.crash.log
Fortunately, CDFinder has a powerful tool to help you find a
problematic file quickly (requires CDFinder 5.0.2 at least):
1. You can at any time catalog the disc completely when you turn
off the creation of previews , or the ability to look inside
archive files, using the CDFinder Preferences, even only for that
disc.
2. When you run CDFinder, there is an entry named "Log Media Paths"
in the Scripts menu. Run that and tell is to "Yes", log the
paths.
3. That will cause CDFinder to generate a text file named "CDFinder
Debug Log.txt" on your desktop, and to write in that text file the
path of every single media file it catalogs.
4. If CDFinder crashes or locks up, the last entry in that file is
either the culprit, or the file just prior to the culprit.
5. Copy over the suspects into a new folder on your desktop and let
CDFinder catalog that to verify that you have indeed found the
culprit.
6. Please contact CDFinder support to send us that file for
analysis.
7. Make sure to turn the "Log Media Paths" option off again for
normal work.
Also, always make sure to use the current version of
CDFinder!
When
performing a Find operation, CDFinder returns error -43. What can I
do?
Error -43 means "fnfError", which is "File Not Found".
The most cases in which that happens is when a catalog file is
moved from one folder to another one on the server, and a local
copy of CDFinder running doesn't see that move immediately, and
expects the catalog file in the old location.
So the solution is not to move any catalog files anymore. OK, just
kidding.
To get around that:
1 . Make sure that the "Sync database folder" option in the
Database Status window is active, and switched to "fast". That will
enable CDFinder to quickly pick up all changes being done to the
database folder from elsewhere.
2. Run the "Reload Database Folder" command from the Special menu.
That will clear the local QuickLaunch Cache, and force CDFinder to
check the whole database folder again.
3. Make sure you use the latest version of CDFinder!
When
cataloging a disk, the error -5000 is returned
Error -5000 indicates that CDFinder does not have enough access
privileges to write into the CDFinder Database Folder, or one of
its sub folders.
Please open the Get Info window for that folder in the Finder, (not
in CDFinder!) and check that you have write access to the folder
and all subfolders. If not, change the access privileges.
Then run the "Reload Database folder" command in the Special menu
in CDFinder to make sure that CDFinder can see the changes.
If the CDFinder Database Folder is located on a file server, talk
to your network admin to make sure you have the proper
privileges.
CDFinder can't
find my catalog files anymore. What can I do?
CDFinder usually remembers the location where you put your CDFinder
Database Folder. If for whatever reasons that may not be the case,
simply open the Preferences in CDFinder, and show CDFinder where
that folder was located.
If you forget where your catalog files could be located, search for
a folder named "CDFinder Database Folder", as that is the default
folder name that CDFinder uses (and it is located in your Documents
folder).
Also, CDFinder creates one catalog file for every volume or folder
you catalog, and it uses the name of the volume or folder for the
catalog file name, so if you remember any disc you have catalogued
with CDFinder, search for a file with this name...
Do you store the catalog data files directly inside the application
folder? (Select Preferences in the CDFinder menu to display the
current location of the catalog folder) If that is the case, please
create a new folder in your Documents folder and put the catalog
files in it. Then show CDFinder that location and most of the
possible problems are gone.
If the problem persists, try to delete the file CDFinder
Preferences, which is stored in the Preferences folder. You will
have to enter your keyword again, though...
Also, make sure to run the current version of CDFinder!
Cataloging disks
with CDFinder X.X is slower than before?
Every new version of CDFinder is usually able to read more meta
data than previous versions. For example, CDFinder 5.0 now is able
to read photo thumbnails. This is of course slower than before, but
you can always turn off any new features like that, using the
CDFinder Preferences.
Why
does CDFinder not display IPTC or EXIF info for a photo
file?
CDFinder can only display the EXIF or IPTC data of a photo file if
the option to read that info is turned on when the volume is
cataloged. For any catalogs created with previous versions of
CDFinder, this info wasn't read and thus cannot be displayed.
Please also note that CDFinder only shows the EXIF and IPTC data in
the Inspector, not in the Get Info window.
Error
converting old catalog files. What now?
When CDFinder launches, it checks the Database Folder for the
presence of old catalog files created by CDFinder 2.8 and earlier.
If it finds any of these, it will ask you to convert them. If an
error happens during the conversion, usually due to a defective
file, CDFinder will display an error message, and you have to
locate and remove the damaged files.
To do that, let the Finder show you the Database folder, and in
list view, open all folder. In the Kind column, the old database
files are of the "CDFinder Old Catalog Data File" kind. Remove
these.