chenhg5/cc-connect · error

another cc-connect instance is already running with config %

Error message

another cc-connect instance is already running with config %s

What it means

Windows lock-contention fallback: CreateFile failed but readPIDFromLockFile could not recover a positive PID (empty/corrupt lock file), so the error reports only the config path. It still means the lock file cannot be opened for exclusive use — another instance or an OS-level file problem.

Source

Thrown at cmd/cc-connect/instance_lock_windows.go:54

		return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot convert lock path: %w", err)
	}

	handle, createErr := syscall.CreateFile(
		pathPtr,
		syscall.GENERIC_READ|syscall.GENERIC_WRITE,
		syscall.FILE_SHARE_READ,
		nil,
		syscall.OPEN_ALWAYS,
		syscall.FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL,
		0,
	)

	if createErr != nil {
		pid := readPIDFromLockFile(lockPath)
		if pid > 0 {
			return nil, fmt.Errorf("another cc-connect instance is already running (PID %d) with config %s", pid, configPath)
		}
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("another cc-connect instance is already running with config %s", configPath)
	}

	pid := os.Getpid()
	syscall.SetFilePointer(handle, 0, nil, syscall.FILE_BEGIN)
	syscall.SetEndOfFile(handle)
	var written uint32
	syscall.WriteFile(handle, []byte(fmt.Sprintf("%d\n", pid)), &written, nil)
	syscall.FlushFileBuffers(handle)

	return &InstanceLock{
		handle:   handle,
		path:     lockPath,
		acquired: true,
	}, nil
}

func (l *InstanceLock) Release() {
	if l == nil || !l.acquired {

View on GitHub (pinned to 4000b2338a)

Solutions

1. Check the actual Win32 error behind createErr in logs — sharing violation means a live holder, access denied means permissions.
2. Identify the holder (Resource Monitor / handle.exe on the lock file) and stop it if it is a cc-connect process.
3. Delete the stale lock file if no process holds it.
4. Check ACLs on the config directory (icacls) if the error is access-denied rather than sharing-violation.

lock, err := AcquireInstanceLock(configPath)
if err != nil && strings.HasPrefix(err.Error(), "another cc-connect instance is already running") {
    // PID unknown on Windows — check the lock file with handle.exe/Resource Monitor
    fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "lock held by unknown process; inspect", lockPath)
    os.Exit(1)
}

When it happens

Trigger: syscall.CreateFile returns an error on the lock path and readPIDFromLockFile returns <= 0; could be sharing violation from another process or an access-denied/invalid-path condition.

Common situations: Previous instance crashed before writing its PID; lock file created by another user (access denied); antivirus or sync tool holding the file open.

Related errors

• another cc-connect instance is already running (PID %d) with
• another cc-connect instance is already running (PID %d) with
• another cc-connect instance is already running with config %
• cannot create config directory: %w
• cannot convert lock path: %w

AI-assisted analysis of chenhg5/cc-connect@4000b2338a (2026-09-06). Data as JSON: /api/errors/089dabf3ecc5407d. Report an issue: GitHub.