Oninit
Talk to an expert →

Informix Error -4822: The file file_name cannot be closed. Accompanying OS message : OS_Message.

Cause and resolution

The file file_name cannot be closed. Accompanying OS message : OS_Message.

The file cannot be closed. Look for the accompanying error messages from the operating system. Possibly the file is not opened, or the file descriptor specified may not be correct.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-4822 fires when a file I/O Close operation fails — per the official guidance.

  1. The file was never actually opened, per the official guidance — the first named cause.
  2. The specified file descriptor is incorrect, per the official guidance — the second named cause.
Solutions / Resolution
  1. Look for the accompanying operating-system error message, per the official guidance, for the specific cause.
  2. Confirm the file was actually opened, and that the file descriptor used is the one returned from that open, before checking application logic further.
Examples
N/A

No specific triggering statement is documented beyond an unopened file or an incorrect descriptor.

Diagnostic Checks
  1. Check the accompanying OS message, and confirm the file descriptor being closed corresponds to a file that's actually open.
Related Errors / Related Topics
  • -4821 — "The file file_name cannot be created or opened." A related file I/O failure, about opening rather than closing.
  • -4823 — "The file associated with the file descriptor may not be opened." A related file I/O failure, about a stale/invalid descriptor generally, rather than close specifically.

A file couldn't be closed — check the accompanying OS message, and confirm the file was actually open under that descriptor.