An unhandled exception of type 'System.IO.IOException' occurred in mscorlib.dll

An unhandled exception of type 'System.IO.IOException' occurred in mscorlib.dll

Additional information: The process cannot access the file 'C:\Users\ACER\Desktop\Common-Mistakes-Backup.rtf' because it is being used by another process.

The error appears when I open a file that has been saved or updated, when running the program at the same time. I want users to be able to look at their files whenever they want without the need of closing the program first after it is installed. The problem appear when I try Save or when I try to use Autosave Function that acts as a backup incase of power failure. Here is the code with the problem:

Code:

---

        ElseIf File.Exists(path) = True Then

            ' Save the contents of the RichTextBox into the file.
            RichTextBox1.SaveFile(path, _
                RichTextBoxStreamType.RichText)

            Timer1.Start()
        End If

---

Here is the rest of the code:

Code:

---

    Private Sub SaveRecord()

        'Declare a SaveFileDialog object
        Dim objSaveFileDialog As New SaveFileDialog

        'Set the Save dialog properties
        With objSaveFileDialog
            .DefaultExt = ".rtf"
            .FileName = "Common-Mistakes"
            .Filter = "Word Document (*.rtf)|*.rtf|(*.txt)|*.txt|All files (*.*)|*.*"
            .FilterIndex = 1
            .OverwritePrompt = True
            .Title = "SaveAs File Dialog"
        End With

        Dim path As String = (My.Computer.FileSystem.SpecialDirectories.MyDocuments & "\Common-Mistakes.rtf")

        ' This text is added only once to the file.
        If File.Exists(path) = False Then

            If objSaveFileDialog.ShowDialog = Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK Then
                Try
                    Dim filePath As String = System.IO.Path.Combine( _
                        My.Computer.FileSystem.SpecialDirectories.MyDocuments, _
                        objSaveFileDialog.FileName)

                    ' Save the contents of the RichTextBox into the file.
                    RichTextBox1.SaveFile(filePath, _
                        RichTextBoxStreamType.RichText)

                Catch fileException As Exception
                    Throw fileException
                End Try
            End If

        ElseIf File.Exists(path) = True Then

            ' Save the contents of the RichTextBox into the file.
            RichTextBox1.SaveFile(path, _
                RichTextBoxStreamType.RichText)
            MessageBox.Show("You have already saved on that location!", "File Already Saved!", MessageBoxButtons.OK)

        End If

        'Clean up
        objSaveFileDialog.Dispose()
        objSaveFileDialog = Nothing
    End Sub
    Private Sub AutosaveFile()

        Dim path As String = (My.Computer.FileSystem.SpecialDirectories.Desktop & "\Common-Mistakes-Backup.rtf")

        ' This text is added only once to the file.
        If File.Exists(path) = False Then

                      ' Save the contents of the RichTextBox into the file.
            RichTextBox1.SaveFile(path, _
                RichTextBoxStreamType.RichText)

        ElseIf File.Exists(path) = True Then

            ' Save the contents of the RichTextBox into the file.
            RichTextBox1.SaveFile(path, _
                RichTextBoxStreamType.RichText)

            Timer1.Start()
        End If
    End Sub
    'End of Save Functions Sections.'

---

That error means some other program has opened the file and placed a 'lock' on it. This is typically done when that other program wants to write to the file. Locks are important, because if two programs write to a file at the same time it is very easy to corrupt the file.

It sounds like /your/ program might be the one holding the lock, though. I looked at your code, and while there's a few things that raised eyebrows they wouldn't cause this. But your Autosave code runs in response to a timer, right? That brings up an important question: which Timer class are you using?

Two of the Timer classes are designed to raise their event on the UI thread, where it's always safe to interact with controls.

One of the Timer classes calls a Delegate on a worker thread. From that worker thread, it's never safe to interact with controls. And you interact with a control when you call RichTextBox1.SaveFile(). What happens when you do? Eldritch horrors spawn forth into sensitive Windows internal data structures. Sometimes you're lucky and the program crashes. More often, strange behaviors no one can reproduce occur. Given that, if you're calling that method on a worker thread, it's not entirely surprising that the AutoSave accidentally holds a lock forever.

If that's not it, I'm stumped.

AutoSave Function() Timer is for saving the RichtextBox content on the Private Sub RichTextBox1_TextChanged(). This can be done per second depending on the changes you make on the richtextbox! I did this to make the function as a backup just incase the power goes out. I need to open the file at the same time when the program is running because, that is what the users will be doing, and I don't want them to get errors like these because the program was not closed when they opened the document. they will get confused.

I forgot to add this code:

Code:

---

    Private Sub Timer1_Tick(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Timer1.Tick
        AutosaveFile()
    End Sub
    Private Sub RichTextBox1_TextChanged(sender As Object, e As EventArgs)

        Timer1.Start()

    End Sub

---

Any solution?

Any solutions please?

I think you are trying to save the file too frequently, and it's likely when a 2nd save operation starts the first hasn't finished. Slow your roll a bit. Instead of saving every keypress, try saving every 10-15 seconds instead.

There's still a small chance you might try to save the moment the autosave happens. You should take care to make sure only one save operation happens at roughly the same time.

If either of those doesn't work, I feel like there's probably more happening with this file, and other things reading/writing, but the solution will be the same no matter what: if two things can decide to try and save the file at the same time, the 2nd one is at risk for failure. So it's best to make sure you don't do that.