Workflow with Output file running, but not showing in my local drive

[AltR]

First off, there needs to be some improvement made in your photo uploading. I had to cancel a previous post because there was no easy (at least intuitive) way to just delete pictures and screenshots. There also isn't a way to just copy and paste a screenshot in (which should be common). If my pictures or files are unclear, complain to Alteryx for not creating a better upload system and easier to manipulate formatting of pics.
The issue revolves around getting a workflow output file which shows it is working on our server where Alteryx is running, to show on our local machine. I had previously had this working and Excel files were created on my local machine. We had to renew licensing at our company and we just got up and running again.
You can see from the screenshots below that the workflow is running. Then, below that, there is a screenshot I took from the Output tool in Alteryx showing that the file I tried to create is present. Well, when I looked on my local drive, I didn't see that file. Any help is welcome.

[JoeS · Accepted solution]

Hi @AltR

Could you check the path in the Output Data configuration?

That will give you the full path location to the file. 

There will also be a message in the output log with a hyperlink to where you have specified to create the output file.

With regards to the pictures, you should be able to just click on the image once inserted and press the delete button on your keyboard to remove it. You do need to upload an image however, as you aren't able to paste in a screenshot. What internet browser are you using?

[AltR]

Thank you @JoeS,

      It looks like for whatever reason, the problem in the Output Data configuration. It seemed that the actual name of the file wasn't present, even though the path was the exact same (as checked when I went to open the file location in the screenshot I took). SO, the only question I have is if you might know why a previous configuration and file might change? The path didn't, but the file name seemed to. I just re-ran the configuration ensuring that the file name was accurate. Can you let me know if there is anything I can do in the future as a precaution against this sort of change? Thanks again!

[AltR]

Well, I thought we had the solution working. I just went back in to create a sheet name, and I deleted the file so we had something other than "Sheet1" there. I copied and pasted into a Notepad file the exact pathways that the output tool was using and what I have on my local system, and they matched. When, I re-ran the file, I got the following error:

Error: Output Data (32): Unable to Open archive for zipping: \\matching path file\ZAS77A2.tmp Error Opening file: \\matching path file\ZAS77A2.tmp: Access is denied. (5)

Why would have this just worked, and now it gives this message? It just worked, and you can see now the inconsistencies that I am dealing with here in Alteryx. I also tried to change the options from overwrite sheet, to overwrite file, to create new sheet.

Note the only thing I changed was a worksheet name as I added the sheet name to place updated data (we want to run daily reports). It showed the above file path with a "|||Today's Data" at the end. I was just trying to follow what had been looked up here.

I have other "containers" that I constantly am clicking "disabled" on, and every time I check them they seem to have that box unselected again. I don't know if that is preventing access to the file? However, it seems that Alteryx settings just keep changing in this workflow. This is very undesirable behavior.

Is there any easy way to copy and paste tools from a workflow into another workflow so you don't have to worry about these "containers" that aren't behaving properly?
By the way, I tried copying and just pasting a screenshot in here so you could see what I was talking about and it doesn't work (even though there is a pop-up that says hit Ctrl+V to paste). I shouldn't have to save my screenshots to a file every time I want to show what I am seeing on screen,

[AltR]

One last note on this; I tried to copy and paste just the workflow tools that I wanted to use into a new workflow. I pasted that in, and it still didn't work.

The same error kept cropping up.  

[scottj]

I usually see this error when the file is already open somewhere else, whether someone is looking at it, or another process is accessing it.  Make sure the file is not open, and if it is being opened, or written to somewhere else in the workflow, use a Block Until Done tool before the Output.  This can assure anything that is using that file in Alteryx is done before trying to write.

Also note that if the file already exists, you need to overwrite, not create new.

[TortNick]

Hi @AltR, did you figure out what the cause of this was?  One of my users is seeing this intermittent error.  The workflow runs fine, and writes output as expected, but then rerunning using the same data will give the "Unable to Open archive for zipping.....Access Denied" error that you're receiving below.

[OskarH]

Thanks Scott! My workflow had trouble writing to multiple output Excel files. Block Until Done tool fixed this right away!