Error Message: "There was an error when closing the file" (Windows)

• Live Versions: All Live Versions
• Operating System: Windows

The error message "There was an error when closing the file" may result from one of the following causes:

Windows Permissions

Check the permissions of the folder C:\Users\[your username]\AppData, and all of its parent folders, using these instructions: How to enable full read/write permissions.

Interference from anti-virus or SmartScreen software

Certain software may not allow Live to access or make changes to files. Try temporarily deactivating anti-virus or SmartScreen software.

Plug-ins

Certain plug-ins from Steinberg, and plug-ins that rely on Steinberg’s e-licenser software, have been known to cause issues like this. If you have any of the above installed, update the plug-ins and e-licenser to the most current versions.

Synced Folders

This error can appear on Windows when saving (overwriting) an existing Live Set (.als file) to a Dropbox folder, shared network folder, or similar cloud service folder. Please follow this guide on Cloud Storage Best Practices. 

 

To fix this, Dropbox syncing should be paused temporarily. Then try saving the set again. After finishing work in Live, syncing can be resumed to enable backups. If using another cloud storage provider, check their manual to see how to temporarily pause backup.

If you don't want to pause syncing, but need instant uploading, e.g. when backing up critical projects, chose Save Live Set As... from the File menu to save the edited set with a new file name, instead of overwriting the existing file.