How to Resolve NSF file Error- “File does not exist” error.

HCL Notes, formally known as ”IBM Lotus Notes” is the most trusted and widely used email client prior to launching the MS Outlook. Both the clients use a significant file format to save the user’s data in the local storage directory. In the case of IBM Lotus Notes, it uses the NSF file format to store the client database. As the HCL Notes is a technical application to access, therefore, sometimes a user can encounter several errors as the file does not exist that can abandon them to access the NSF files.

A technical or non-technical user can face certain issues, as the NSF file doesn’t exist while using the IBM Notes or Domino Server. A File does not exist error occurs due to several reasons as per charted-

1. While accessing an email in Notes client.
2. Processing to archive an email
3. Launching the Notes after upgrading.
4. While opening email in a local replica

Let’s start the detail of the error’s reasons and their solution in detail.

Reasons for the File Does Not Exist Error

1. While accessing an email in the Notes client

Infrequently, when a Notes user access an NSF database file in any version of Lotus Notes then frequently they occur an error message “File doesn’t exist”.  The NSF file accessing error can comes while performing other tasks with the mail file.
Main reasons for the error–

1. If you are working with a lost network connection.
2. If you are accessing the file that is not present at the local storage or removable device which is unattached with the system.

Solutions –

1. Check the internet connectivity to work without any interruption and on good internet connection open the email file.
2. Disconnect the external drive, replace it, and then open the email file to access it.

For performing these actions, you must be careful about the exact file location of the NSF file. Check carefully to ensure the correct directory location of the Notes client database file.

Read More: Common NSF file error for Lotus Notes/Domino Server

2. Processing to archive an email

A Domino/HCL Notes user can archive their old or redundant emails that allow the user to reduce the consumed database space capacity without losing any mail. While performing this action, sometimes, this process opts for some errors like file doesn’t exist.

Reason– This error may occur when the name of the archive file has been changed or deleted from the local directory.

Solution– To overcome this error, one needs to follow this process to get an unaltered data file.

Go to File > Database > Properties > Archive Settings.

Search the archive file and check if the file is not available, missing, or renamed. If the is not available then create an NSF file at the same location.

3. Launching the Notes after upgrading

If the non-technical or professional user updated their current Lotus Client version to access, the new features with their same database. Then, there is a chance to get an error of the file that doesn’t exist.

Solution – To prevent this error you need to update the Lotus Notes version with the same user account configured in the previous edition. After completion of the update, restart the HCL Notes application. This can solve the error occurring symptoms.

You must ensure in the local drive storage that key files – names.nsf, bookmark.nsf, desktop.ndk, and cache.ndk have existed in the Notes\Data directory. If not, then, NTF equivalent files must be there in the Notes\Data directory.

4. While Opening Email in a Local Replica

While accessing the email file in local replica a user can get the error message of a file does not exist.

Reason – Using local replica in place of server copy is the main reason for this file doesn’t exist error. Although, the accidental deletion of the .dtf (Notes temporary file) file opts for this error. The file deletion occurs because of the anti-virus software.

Solutions – Try one or more tasks to resolve the file error:

1. You can access the mail in server copy to see the effects of error.
2. Relaunching the Lotus Notes client may solve this error sometimes.
3. Excluding the .dtf file throughout the configuring of anti-virus software solves this error problem.

The above-mentioned solutions can solve your problem.

Conclusion:

All the above reasons and solutions are responsible to encounter or solve the file that doesn’t exist error for Lotus Notes client users while working with this application. If the above solutions are not working for you then you need to recover your NSF data from the unavailable file at the local directory location to access it any other platform like Outlook and Office 365. For this, go with MailsDaddy NSF to PST Converter and MailsDaddy Lotus Notes to Office 365 Migration tools.