'File is open, and may need to be cleaned.'

[Glazooh]

OK I have only just started using AxCrypt and am probably doing something stupid but I don’t get this…

I create a notepad file with some random text and save it. Add the file in AxCrypt so it now shows in ‘Recent Files’ and the file in File Manager changes to a .axx file with the AxCrypt icon, all good.

I d/click the file in File Manager which fires up Notepad and shows the file. Close Notepad.

In the AxCrypt ‘Recent Files’ window the file now has the ‘broom’ icon next to it, and clicking the larger ‘broom’ icon at the top does nothing.

If I then closedown AxCrypt from the File menu a dialogue pops up ‘These files could not be re-encrypted: test.txt’

Restarting AxCrypt still shows the file with the ‘broom’ icon, mouse-hover says ‘File is open, and may need to be cleaned…..’

No idea why AxCrypt think the file is open as Notepad was closed.

Confused

 

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Glazooh,

Are you using Microsoft Windows original Notepad, or some alternative?

With regular Notepad, AxCrypt should as you say detect that it was closed.

Other alternative text editors often have a multi document interface, and you can close the *document*, but the app itself remains open.

[Glazooh]

Thank you Svante,

Yes, it’s the standard Notepad as part of the Windows 10 OS, it must retain some currency or handle to the file even though the file has been closed, maybe because I have many other text files open, but they have nothing to do with AxCrypt.

If I repeat the operation with a .jpg file AxCrypt works as expected, d/click the .jpg – pic viewer loads and displays picture – broom handle shows in AxCrypt, close the viewer – broom handle disappears – repeat ad nauseum no problem.

Also the same with a .docx file, but as you say, if I close the file but leave MS Word active then the broom stays, but clears as soon as I close MS Word.

So it must be Notepad, I will have to use some other text editor/viewer, I’m sure there are many.

Thanks for your help.

[SvanteSpectator]

Hi Glazooh,

Thanks for the feedback. Problem is – I can’t reproduce the behavior. Using Windows 10 and Notepad it appears to work as expected, both with one or several encrypted text files open.

You seem to know your way around Windows. Check with Task Manager if all instance of Notepad.exe have been closed, and you still have the broom. You can also try to find what’s keeping the file open (if that’s what happening) using Resource Monitor. Open Task Manager, then the Performance Tab. There there’s a link to open Resource Monitor. Select the CPU tab. Then there’s a section call “Associated Handles”. Search for your file there. Normally, Notepad will *not* actually keep a text file open.

[Glazooh]

Thanks for that Svante,

Yes, there is no problem, just my misunderstanding of how AxCrypt works and it’s relationship with multi-document programs. I didn’t realise that Notepad behaved in exactly the same way as eg MS Word, I had assumed that each open text file would be a separate instance, but obviously not, and as you say if I ensure that my encrypted text file is the only occurrence of Notepad then AxCrypt works normally in the broom department.

I use multiple instances of Notepad to provide shortcuts to hopping round the different virtual desktops as Windows don’t see fit to provide one, so I can’t use AxCrypt for my text files that I wish to encrypt. I did find a rather nifty alternative though in Notepad++, a free GNU based alternative, to which I associated my own extension of .ntx and renamed my text files accordingly.

Maybe this hasn’t come to light before as basic text files aren’t probably seen as fitting vehicles for files of a sensitive nature. Thanks again.

[Joel]

I was concerned about changing my password to AxCrypt so I opened an encrypted file and “Saved As” appending unencrypted to the name. I then changed my password in AxCrypt and everything worked as expected so I securely deleted the unencrypted file …except now the “Clean open files” icon to the left of the file name is showing and “Clean Open Files” doesn’t seem to work. So I went to the local app data and deleted the file (but I kept the folder). When I reopened the encrypted file it opened fine and created a new folder and new unencrypted file. I’ve tried to “clean open files” (doesn’t do anything) and I’ve logged out and back in (doesn’t do anything), I’ve opened and closed the encrypted file multiple times (it creates a “~$file” and then deletes it but the unencrypted file remains) and I’ve open and closed the unencrypted file multiple times (creates the temp files as expected but it remains in the folder).

What else can I do to make sure AxCrypt gets rid of the unencrypted file?

[Azhaguraja BKeymaster]

Hello Joel,

The location(…../Appdata/Local/AxCrypt or %localappdata%\AxCrypt) is for the temporary decrypted copies of the files. Those will either be cleaned automatically at the earliest opportunity or when you click the red clean “broom” icon in AxCrypt.

AxCrypt works by decrypting files temporarily and then launching the appropriate application for the decrypted file, which thus is entirely unaware of AxCrypt. AxCrypt monitors the system for the launched app to exit, and when it detects this it will re-encrypt the file and wipe (overwrite) the decrypted file and then delete it.

We have to close all the instance of the opened corresponding application to delete the unencrypted file and re-encrypt the encrypted file.

AxCrypt 2 uses a more robust method for the automatic re-encryption, which sometimes means you as the user have to tell AxCrypt to do it. You’ll see this by the “broom” icon becoming red. This indicates there’s something in need of “clean up”, i.e. re-encryption.

Still(after deleting the local files also) you are not able to clean and re-encrypt the files, just clear the AxCrypt local contents(via File | Options | Clear all settings & Restart) and try the same in appropriate way.

or you can feel free to contact our support via support@axcrypt.net .

 

 

[Joel]

Thanks for the explanation. I did delete the local file (I kept the local folder but AxCrypt just creates a new one) and then clear and restart. However, after logging back in and clicking on the AxCrypt encrypted file, it just created a new local folder and put an unencrypted file there. The “broom” does nothing and it just leaves the local unencrypted file in the local directory. I have put in an email to support.

FYI, AxCrypt is re-encrypting the file in my documents directory, but it is leaving a copy of the unencrypted file in the localapp directory.

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