Omnipresence error with a particular file

Sync
#1

I have a problem that as soon as I move a specific file into my OmniPresence folder on the Mac I get the error shown below.

Unable to create URL to temporary items directory for 
'file:///Users/steve/OmniPresence/Fountain%20pens.ooutline/'

I would welcome any thoughts on what might be causing this. I’ve renamed the file, saved it as a new version but still have the same problem. This file has synced quite happily before.

Both OmniPresence and OmniOutliner are the current release versions.

#2

OmniPresence is very useful, but it is not exactly robust. In my experience, it stops working for one reason or another fairly frequently, and then getting it working again can be a battle.

Basically, once you see this message, your sync folder is finished, and the only thing you can do is to rebuild it. Here’s what worked for me:

  1. Remove the problem file from the OmniPresence folder; put it somewhere safe.
  2. Click ‘Retry Sync’. In most cases, sync will now work correctly – but don’t think you’ve solved the problem. If you put the file back in the folder, it will break again.
  3. Back up your OmniPresence folder to somewhere safe.
  4. Click the (I) button and then click ‘Disconnect’. OmniPresence will tell you that it’s moving the folder to the Trash. Let it.
  5. Reboot your Mac. This is important; if you don’t reboot, you’ll probably just have more problems.
  6. Click the OmniPresence icon again to reopen the pop-down dialog. OmniPresence will invite you to set up a new OmniPresence folder.
  7. Choose a location for the folder (you can choose anywhere you want, but if you choose anything except the root of your home directory, OmniPresence will probably give you a hard time).
  8. At the next prompt, enter your login credentials for the service you’re using (probably Omni’s sync service).
  9. OmniPresence will now start syncing; let it synchronize your documents completely.
  10. When it’s done, move the file that was causing you problems back into the new OmniPresence folder. It should now sync successfully, and everything will be fine – until the next time.
#3

You may have a known macOS permissions issue with the temporary directory based on that error, especially if you are on High Sierra.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203538 is the Apple Support document that should help resolve the problem.

#4

Replying to my own post: one other thing to try before working through the fix I suggest above (or before doing a permissions repair, as recommended by @lanettetest), is simply to restart OmniPresence. In some cases, that may be enough to resolve the issue.

1 Like
#5

Very good suggestion. Thanks for sharing it. Try the simplest fix first.