Informix Error -842: Cannot read temp file.

Cause and resolution

Cannot read temp file.

Informix SQL created a temporary file; now it is trying to read back the temporary file. However, it received an unexpected operating-system return code. Possibly you or another user removed the file, or possibly a hardware error occurred.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-842 fires when the interactive tool, trying to read back a temporary file it created earlier, gets an unexpected OS-level return code — per the official guidance, two possibilities: the file was removed (by the current user or someone else), or a hardware error occurred.

The temp file removed (by the user, another user, or an automated cleanup process) before the tool tried to read it back, per the official guidance.
A hardware error affecting the storage holding the temp file, per the official guidance.

Solutions / Resolution

Check whether the temp file still exists, if its location and name are known, to confirm whether removal is the cause:
```
ls -l /tmp/  # or wherever the tool's temp files are configured to live
```
Check for hardware-level errors on the filesystem holding the temp directory:
```
dmesg | tail -50
```
Retry the operation, since a removed temp file is often the result of a one-time external action (a cleanup script, another user) rather than a persistent condition.
If hardware errors are found, escalate to whoever administers the underlying storage.

Examples

Checking for OS-level hardware errors

$ dmesg | tail -50

Diagnostic Checks

Check whether an external process/user removed the temp file.
Check for hardware-level errors on the underlying storage if removal doesn't explain it.

Related Errors / Related Topics

No closely related error codes are cross-referenced for -842 in this set yet.

Check whether the temp file was removed externally first, then check for hardware errors on the underlying storage.