Files on RAM FS cannot be opened via double-click

When downloading Word files to RAM FS, double-clicking fails to open them, but they can be opened by right-clicking and choosing "Open with..."
Compressed files cannot be extracted.
Is this normal?

No, it's not normal, but it's something we can't reproduce either.

To pin down exactly why the file won't open, we need a low-level trace of what your Windows is doing at the moment it fails. The tool for this is Process Monitor, a free Microsoft/Sysinternals utility. It only takes a couple of minutes and no installation needed.

Start Procmon64.exe as administrator then press Ctrl+L to open the Filter window. In the top row set: Path … contains … then type the drive letter of the RAM FS volume (for example R:\), and click Add.

Reproduce the failure cleanly - first press Ctrl+X to clear the list and start afresh. Double-click the file that won't open and let the error appear. As soon as you see the failure, switch back to Process Monitor and press Ctrl+E to stop capturing. Save the log as a PML file and send it to us.

It would also help if you could take a screenshot or the exact error message, and mention if there is an antivirus/security product you are using.

Yes, I have antivirus software installed. I will try again.

ProcessMonitor Show
Winword.exe
Operation CtreateFile
Path R:\netapi32.pdb
Result NAME NOT FOUND

Else Show success

Winrar.exe Show the same thing

Update: we've released version 26.7.1 with fixes addressing several issues. Please try it a let us know whether it resolves your issue as well.

There is no change; my files still cannot be opened.

ProcessMonitor
Details show: AllocationSize n/a

Thanks for testing. A few things to narrow this down:

1. Did you restart Windows after installing 26.7.1? The driver only switches to the new version on reboot.
2. Which browser do you use, and is your TEMP/TMP, browser cache or Downloads folder redirected onto the RAM FS volume?
3. Does a file copied onto the volume (rather than downloaded) open normally? Is it all files, or only Office documents and archives?
4. What's the exact error — a message, or nothing happens? A screenshot would help. And which antivirus are you running?

Also, please send a complete Process Monitor log, not filtered entries: clear the list (Ctrl+X), capture, reproduce, stop (Ctrl+E). Then Save → All events → PML. The full capture shows us exactly which operation fails.

1. I have restarted my computer.
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2. The browser used is Edge; the folder is redirected to the RAM FS volume.
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3. Copied files also fail to open. I have not tested other files.
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4. After double-clicking, a loading circle appears next to the mouse cursor, yet nothing happens and no error messages pop up.

Thanks - that's actually reassuring: the files themselves are almost certainly fine. A damaged document or archive would make the app launch and show an error, not hang silently with a spinning cursor. A hang that happens on double-click but not via "Open with…" points at the shell open path, not the file contents - and since both Word and WinRAR are affected that way, the likely culprit is a security product's shell/file-scan hook stalling the open.

Two things would let us confirm it:

1. The exact antivirus / security product name and version (including any "PC manager" suites). If you can fully exit it - close the tray agent, and switch off real-time protection - and retest a double-click, that alone may pinpoint it.
2. A complete, unfiltered Process Monitor log: press Ctrl+X to clear (no path filter), double-click and let it hang, press Ctrl+E to stop, then File → Save → All events → PML and send it to us. The full capture shows the last operation before it stalls — the single most useful thing right now.

Also, does the same document open when double-clicked from a normal folder on C:?

The same document can open when double-clicked from a normal folder on C:

I installed the software on another computer, Process monitor has three differences.

Winword.exe
Operation CreateFile
Path R:\netapi32.pdb
Result NAME NOT FOUND

Operation CreateFile
Path R:\
Result Success
Detail OpenResult: Opened appears additionally at the end of the details.


Only txt files can open; doc, ppt, excel, jpg, pdf, etc can't open.

So far, everything points to the antivirus. It would typically ignore text files, as they don't contain viruses, but attempt to scan other files like PDFs, Word document, archive files.

So my question remains: what antivirus or security product are you using? Please include the exact product name and version.

QAX V10

When I use Process Monitor to capture Winword.exe or WinRAR.exe, the corresponding files can be opened by double-clicking. If I reboot computer, the files can't open by double-clicking.

Sorry that's not something we can download or test. However, we've just published a new build with several fixes that might help - please install it over, reboot, and let us know if it resolves your issue.

In the new build, RAM FS volumes identify themselves as NTFS instead of RAMFS. This is because some third-party tools don't understand non-standard filesystems and refuse to work with them, or fall back to slower paths. By mimicking NTFS the volume appears like a normal local disk across far more software, which may also improve how third-party security and backup suites treat it.

No change

I have uninstalled the antivirus software, but the problem persists. There might be something wrong with the system.
I will try again after reinstalling Windows when I have time.

That's odd. In that case, it may be one of the installed shell extensions or a similar component causing the issue.

Could you please post a complete list of what's installed on your PC? To do that, run the attached BAT file. It will generate a text file on your desktop.

You can then either attach the file here (preferably zipped) or send it to us via a support ticket. We'll have a look and see what might be interfering.

An error pops up when renaming the drive label (RamFS): "The volume label provided is invalid. Please enter a valid volume label".

Thanks for reporting this. We have implemented the setting of a label in the latest version (26.8).