>I just wasted about a day due to a weird failing of the COPY TO command on a w98 machine. The machine is on a small network using NetBeui. NO internet access, no virus activity detected, and the speed of the machine was normal, mouse response normal.
>
>Files were created and recorded in a log file, but the files were NOT visible using Explorer or command prompt DIR for about 5 minutes! NO files were lost.
>
>the fox code is essentially
>

>COPY TO x for condition  && we'll lock temp file and allow access to master
>IF FILE(x)               && a cursor can't be used in this situation
>  procedure(x)
>ENDIF

Why do you need to check file after its creation? What's the strange name x (is it for example sake or the real file name?)

Don't forget to add DBF extension before checking for existance of the file (though I don't see, why you need to check for it).


>
>and the procedure never fired! This code is ancient, probably has millions of hours of use by now on UNIX, DOS, & VFP versions
>
>The problem was resolved by shutting down the computer and restarting it. There were NO other symptoms, and the problem has not reappeared!
>
>HOWEVER, upon checking the error logs at several sites, I find that I am seeing errors on a weekly basis of "FILE DOES NOT EXIST" yet the file DOES exist, so I am suspicious that yesterday was an extreme case of a more common problem.
>
>I have a global locate/replace for .prg files, so I could add a delay loop, but I wondered if there was a better way?
>
>thx
>
>Mike