Description
The Reimport Process in the Desktop App Core for Mac is part of the macOS File Provider framework. It serves as a recovery mechanism triggered when the system detects that the local metadata database—used to track files and folders—has become corrupted, inaccessible, or unreliable.
When this happens, macOS instructs the Egnyte app to start fresh by rebuilding its entire view of the file system. This process involves the app reloading all known information about files and folders stored on disk, which can take some time and impact normal operation during the process.
What Causes It?
A reimport can be triggered by several factors:
- Corruption or inaccessibility of the File Provider's local database during MacOS upgrade.
- System deciding it can no longer trust the stored file metadata.
- Abnormal interruptions, such as:
- Unexpected shutdowns or crashes.
- Forced app quits during ongoing file sync operations.
- Underlying file system issues or disk health problems.
How Can This Hamper Egnyte Drive Operations?
Egnyte Desktop App Core uses the File Provider extension model on macOS. Desktop App Core will have visual indicators identifying when the reimport process is occurring.
While reimport is running, it affects critical operations:
Temporary Unavailability of Files
- File placeholders may disappear or become inaccessible during reindexing.
- Apps trying to read or write files might experience failures or delays.
Stale Sync State
- Files pending upload (changes not yet pushed to the cloud) may get lost or skipped if the sync queue is reset during reimport.
- Downloads may not trigger until reenumeration completes and correct metadata is re-established.
Incorrect Change Detection
- Local edits or deletions might not match cloud state — leading to conflicts or sync errors.
- Especially risky if the app doesn’t track pending changes independently of File Provider metadata.
Extended Downtime
- On large file sets (for example, 100k+ items), reimport can take minutes or hours, depending on the system.
- During this, both upload and download pipelines may pause, especially if they rely on file identifiers or metadata consistency.
What Can Be Done to Prevent It?
While reimport is a system-driven recovery process, chances of it occurring can be prevented:
- Avoid rebooting or force-quitting the system or app while heavy syncs are ongoing.
- If corruption is frequent, consider checking disk health or file system issues.