If you notice that apps crash when trying to access a file on a network drive in Windows 10 at the same time, this message is intended to help you. In this article, we will identify the potential cause of this problem, as well as the workaround that you can try to help you alleviate the problem.
Let’s take a look at a typical scenario where you may encounter this anomaly.
You create a shared folder on a server, and then add a file to the folder. On a client running Windows 10 / 8.1 / 7, you mount the shared folder as a network drive. You install third-party security software that includes a file system mini-filter driver associated with an application.
The minifilter is attached to both a local drive that contains the % SystemRoot% path (for example, a C drive) and the network drive for the shared folder that you created. The minifilter sends a message (using the FltSendMessage function) which includes the file name in the network drive to the application. The application tries to open the file using the file name it receives and aanother application on the same computer that is not associated with the mini-filter tries to open the same file on the network drive at the same time.
In this scenario, the two applications freeze.
Application freezes when trying to access network shares
If you are facing this problem of applications hang when accessing a file on a network drive, you can try the solutions recommended below as appropriate, to quickly and easily resolve the problem.
1]If this problem has already occurred, restart the Windows client.
2]To avoid this problem, you can deactivate Offline files (Note: If you have to use offline files, there is no workaround) using the local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc).
Here’s how:
- Press Windows key + R.
- In the Run dialog box, type gpedit.msc and press Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
- In the Local Group Policy Editor, use the left pane to navigate to the path below:
Computer Configuration> Administrative Templates> Network> Offline Files
- In the right pane, double-click Allow or disallow use of the Offline Files feature to modify its properties.
- in the Allow or disallow use of the Offline Files feature policy window, set the radio button to disabled.
- Click on Apply > Okay to save the changes.
You can now exit the Local Group Policy Editor and restart your computer. the applications hang when accessing a file on a network drive in Windows 10, the problem should be resolved now.
According to Microsoft, you are experiencing this problem due to a resource lock held by the Windows client-side caching driver (Csc.sys).
When this problem occurs, Csc.sys obtains a resource lock on a file and then requests a driver from above in a driver stack to open the file. This makes all the applications that try to access the file wait. It also forces the minifilter thread to wait for its associated application to respond.