Swap file Issue (CTRL-Z)

[patrickgilliland]

Hi There

On both my personal machines (I moved of my laptop as it was occurring there and moved everything over to my base unit) I have started to get errors when pressing ctrl_z.
I have attached the screen shot of the error I get repeatedly.

This is making the software totally unusable - please can you advise.  Software was stable for many months but in last few weeks this error has started to occur everytime I use the application.

Your prompt response would be appreciated.

Patrick Gilliland 

[Juan Conejero]

This happens because PixInsight is unable to read one or more swap files. Swap files are necessary to store intermediate image states. When you use the Image > Undo command, a swap file has to be loaded to undo the last processing step.

By default, swap files are stored on the system TEMP directory. Normally this directory is C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows. You might have no access rights to this directory (which would be really strange), your machine might have a hardware problem, your hard disk could be full or almost full, or something may be interfering with PixInsight to read and write swap files. Check your system.

[patrickgilliland]

I have full permission to the directory that you have highlighted.  However it does highlight that directory as an issue in the error occasionally - could it be the way my swap files are set up?
I have 2x2tb disks each with a system managed swap file.

I would accept it may be a hardware issue but
1. It is happening on two machines a laptop and a brand new base unit (with 4tb of storage) so it is highly unlikely.
2.  The problem is not consistent - it might work for hours then it will start crashing as per screen shots and it will then go through a process of crashing for a while then start to work again, again this happens on both machines.

Any further info on how to best set up the swap files if there is a better way would be helpful and welcomed, if not do you have any further thoughts (unless a EMP has been set of round here I can not imagine multiple device failures and the issue has only started on my machines over last few weeks).

Thanks

Paddy

[bitli]

Any antivirus getting in the way?
-- bitli

[patrickgilliland]

There is Mcafee on the machine - why would this impact it though?  If a local application is effected by anti-virus then something else is wrong with the local application surely.  Should not be making calls/actions that anti-virus would intercept?  Unless you know better......would be welcome knowledge if so.

Paddy

[pfile]

the antivirus might have the pixinsight swap file open, and possibly locked, in the course of a scan? i know AV programs on windows are pretty intrusive. i don't think PI is doing anything that the AV would necessarily intercept.

also the swap files juan is talking about are not the system's VM backing store swap file, if that's what you mean by "each with a system-managed swap file". the PI .swp files are essentially images, each one representing the result of some step in the processing history.

rob

[jkmorse]

Paddy,

You sound like a sophisticated user so I apologize if this is a stupid post, but did you look at this post:

http://pixinsight.com/forum/index.php?topic=7644.msg51512#msg51512

For what its worth,

Jim

[patrickgilliland]

Thanks Jim,

I had not seen that link and so far reading it and reconfiguring swaps in PI as per thread has been stable.  Also quadrupled my swap speed.
Downside is I have now had to but some SSD's which arrive tomorrow 
Needed them anyway so this was the final push.

Thanks

Paddy

[jkmorse]

Paddy,

Great to hear.  You wont be disappointed in swapping out for SSDs.  I changed out my hard drive for an SSD on my machine and the speed improvement was amazing. 

Btw, I also sent you a separate note about getting my Cribsheet.  I just need your email address so I can send you the full version.

Best,

Jim