Error exporting file: Invalid directory - when delivering Documents using Forms Printer

11 December 2008

Issue Description

When Delivering a Forms Printer Document, either singly or in a batch, if the Document is set up to Export to a file  at a non-existent path  as a delivery option, or if the Per-master record settings are set up to deliver to a file at a non-existent path as a delivery option.  Then during the attempt to export the report, you will see:

Error exporting file: Invalid directory
Error number -2147206460

 

 

Solution

The typical and most likely cause of the Error:  "Invalid Directory",   is that the Destination path specified on the Delivery system "to file"  options is pointing to a Folder (Directory) that does not exist anymore.  (Ex: a server share that is no longer accessible from the workstations)

 

Note that Delivery System options are specified at the Document Level on the Forms Printer Setup window, so check that path , but may also be specified on a "Per Master record" basis, i.e. per-customer by using the Customer Maintenance Card Window, and choosing Extras, Delivery System Setup from there.  

 

Be sure to check the "Per Master record" settings accessed from the Extras/Additional->Delivery System Setup menu that appears when the Customer Maintanance Card  for the Customer on the quote that is having the issue, is opened.

 

See the FPDOCNN.PDF in the GP Application folder for a description of Forms Printer per-master record delivery options. 

 

If this is occurring during "Delivery" of a batch,   you should check the individual customers (master records)  that are in that batch, as one may have per-master record custom settings that use an invalid path that is  causing the issue.

 

You should check the per-document delivery options for the document type in question from the Forms Printer setup window first.  Insure the To File: path is valid.

 

You can check all customer master-record delivery settings at once by querying the Company Database using SQL.

 

 The per master record custom settings are stored by  Document type and customer id in the ASI12381 table in the Company Database in SQL Server.

 

 You may be able to find the 'bad setup record' by  looking  in this table,  at the values in the  ASI_DF_PATH Column  for invalid file paths, or ASIMailAttachmentName Column for special characters or date tokens in attachment file names if the issue happens during email delivery only.

 

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