PRB: "There Is a Diff Chain Size Mismatch in File" Error Message in Analyze.log When You Run the Analyze Tool Against a Visual SourceSafe Database (323698)

SYMPTOMS

After you run the Analyze tool against a Visual SourceSafe database, you may receive an error message that is similar to the following in the Analyze.log output:

There is a diff chain size mismatch in file "MyFile.txt" (FYIAAAAA) at version 12(versions earlier than that version can no longer be retrieved from the database).

If you try to retrieve an earlier version of the file (that is, versions that are earlier than the version that is listed in the error message), you receive the following error message:

Unable to finish writing to the file

CAUSE

This problem occurs because of an error in a log entry record that causes the difference chain (or delta) to be unusable. The delta is calculated each time a file is checked in. The delta is used to properly regenerate older versions of the file.

This error occurs when the file delta is not properly calculated or when the calculation cannot complete. The following conditions can cause this error to occur:

Loss of network connectivity.
Not enough disk space on the Visual SourceSafe server computer.
Client ends the check-in operation prematurely.

RESOLUTION

Use one of the following methods to resolve this problem:

Restore the file pairs from backup. For example, if you use the information in the error message that is listed in the "Symptoms" section, you must restore the FYIAAAAA file and its matching .a or .b file (FYIAAAAA.A or FYIAAAAA.B).

NOTE: Any changes that are made to the file since the last backup are lost.
Archive and delete the history from the file at the version that is listed in the error message. To do this, use the Ssarc.exe command-line utility. For example, if you use the information in the error message that is listed in the "Symptoms" section, run the following command at a command prompt:
ssarc -d -v12 archive1.ssa $/Apps/Source/MyFile.txt
After you archive the history from the file, you can safely delete the Archive1.ssa file that is created.

NOTE: You cannot access any history that is earlier than the version that is archived.

REFERENCES

For additional information about errors that the Analyze tool reports, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: