Problem:

Environment variables can be set at several locations and there was an invisible setting of the environment variable EXTFH which got priority over other settings. The resolution is valid for all environment variables.

A status 9/194: "File size too large" was reported even if the settings in EXTFH.cfg configuration file were correct.

The EXTFH.cfg settings were:

[XFH-DEFAULT]

FILEMAXSIZE=8

which allow to access an IDXFORMAT"8" file larger than 4 GByte.

But nevertheless the OPEN gives a file status code 9/194. The setting of the environment variable EXTFH in the environment does not change the behaviour. What can cause this?

Resolution:

The cause for the status is that the EXTFH.cfg could not be read or a false one was found.

See also KB: 23553 for "Using Filemon to ensure that the correct version of a file is in use"

The resolution here was to delete the <project-name>_RTECFG.obj, because it was no longer used. This obj is linked via Project, Build Settings, Tab "LINK", Category "Advanced" in "Link which these OBJs".

The full story:

The actual problem was caused by an invisible setting of the environment variable EXTFH, may be in the IDE for the EXE under Project - Properties - Application.

Setting an environment variable like EXTFH or COBDIR in the IDE in Project - Properties - Application causes on a rebuild-all the creation of a file <project-name>_RTECFG.obj, which is added to the EXE's build in "Build Settings", Tab "LINK", Category "Advanced" in "Link which these OBJs".

Normally, setting an environment variable under Project - Properties - Application creates the <project-name>_RTECFG.obj and deleting the environment variable there will remove it from <project-name>_RTECFG.obj, but not delete this obj itself.

There seems to be a not reproduced possibility, that the environment variable is deleted from Project - Properties - Application but not from <project-name>_RTECFG.obj. This may cause problems with all environment variables set at that place.