[Bug]: Empty Files (0 Bytes) on SMB/CIFS External Storage Are Unmanageable: Cannot Open, Edit, or Delete

⚠️ This issue respects the following points: ⚠️

• This is a bug, not a question or a configuration/webserver/proxy issue.
• This issue is not already reported on Github OR Nextcloud Community Forum (I've searched it).
• Nextcloud Server is up to date. See Maintenance and Release Schedule for supported versions.
• I agree to follow Nextcloud's Code of Conduct.

Bug description

When creating or accessing empty files (0 bytes) on SMB/CIFS external storage, Nextcloud fails to open or delete these files. The files become inaccessible - they are visible in the file list but cannot be opened, edited, or deleted through the Nextcloud interface. This affects all file types (.md, .txt, etc.) when they are empty (while creating).

Workaround
Add minimal content to the file on the SMB server (e.g., add one character via nano text editor). After adding content, the file becomes fully functional in Nextcloud - can be opened, edited, saved, and deleted.

Environment
Nextcloud Version: Nextcloud Hub 9 (32.0.6)
(known since Version 30 and exists maybe before also)
Storage Type: SMB/CIFS via "External Storage 1.24.1"
Affected Files: All file types when 0 bytes in size

Steps to reproduce

1.Steps to Reproduce
Method A: Create via Nextcloud

• Set up an SMB/CIFS external storage in Nextcloud
  

• In Nextcloud Files, navigate to the external storage
  

• Click "New" → "New text file" and create any file (e.g., .md)
  

• The editor opens but fails to load the file (times out after a while)
  

• After closing the editor, the file (showing 0B) cannot be deleted from Nextcloud
  

Method B: Create directly on SMB server

• Create an empty file directly on the SMB server (e.g., touch test.md or touch test.txt)
  

• Try to open or delete the file in Nextcloud Web interface → Fails
  

Expected behavior

Expected Behavior

• Empty files should be accessible, editable, and deletable regardless of file type
  

• File operations should work regardless of file size or content
  

Actual Behavior

• Empty files (0 bytes) are completely unmanageable in Nextcloud
  

• Files with content (>0 bytes) work without issues
  

• Affects all file types when they are empty
  

Nextcloud Server version

30

Operating system

Debian/Ubuntu

PHP engine version

PHP 8.2

Web server

Apache (supported)

Database engine version

MariaDB

Is this bug present after an update or on a fresh install?

None

Are you using the Nextcloud Server Encryption module?

Encryption is Disabled

What user-backends are you using?

• Default user-backend (database)
• LDAP/ Active Directory
• SSO - SAML
• Other

Configuration report

{
    "system": {
        "passwordsalt": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "secret": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "trusted_domains": [
            "localhost",
            "fileshare.bggroteradler.de",
            "nxtcl.bgg.internal",
            "nxtcl1.bgg.internal",
            "192.168.216.7"
        ],
        "datadirectory": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "dbtype": "mysql",
        "version": "30.0.16.1",
        "overwrite.cli.url": "http:\/\/localhost",
        "dbname": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "dbhost": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "dbport": "",
        "dbtableprefix": "oc_",
        "mysql.utf8mb4": true,
        "dbuser": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "dbpassword": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "installed": true,
        "instanceid": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "memcache.local": "\\OC\\Memcache\\Redis",
        "redis": {
            "host": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
            "port": 0,
            "timeout": 0
        },
        "filelocking.enabled": true,
        "memcache.locking": "\\OC\\Memcache\\Redis",
        "log_type": "file",
        "logfile": "\/var\/www\/nextcloud-data\/nextcloud.log",
        "loglevel": 4,
        "trusted_proxies": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "skeletondirectory": "",
        "defaultapp": "files",
        "mail_smtpmode": "smtp",
        "mail_smtphost": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "mail_sendmailmode": "pipe",
        "mail_smtpport": "465",
        "mail_from_address": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "mail_domain": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "ldapIgnoreTLSValidation": true,
        "updater.secret": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "maintenance": false,
        "theme": "",
        "ldapProviderFactory": "OCA\\User_LDAP\\LDAPProviderFactory",
        "forbidden_filename_basenames": [
            "con",
            "prn",
            "aux",
            "nul",
            "com0",
            "com1",
            "com2",
            "com3",
            "com4",
            "com5",
            "com6",
            "com7",
            "com8",
            "com9",
            "com\u00b9",
            "com\u00b2",
            "com\u00b3",
            "lpt0",
            "lpt1",
            "lpt2",
            "lpt3",
            "lpt4",
            "lpt5",
            "lpt6",
            "lpt7",
            "lpt8",
            "lpt9",
            "lpt\u00b9",
            "lpt\u00b2",
            "lpt\u00b3"
        ],
        "forbidden_filename_characters": [
            "<",
            ">",
            ":",
            "\"",
            "|",
            "?",
            "*",
            "\\",
            "\/"
        ],
        "forbidden_filename_extensions": [
            " ",
            ".",
            ".filepart",
            ".part"
        ],
        "default_phone_region": "DE",
        "maintenance_window_start": 2,
        "mail_smtpsecure": "ssl",
        "data-fingerprint": "dba5f96124d9655767820a9739595e6d"
    }
}

List of activated Apps

Enabled:
  - activity: 3.0.0
  - app_api: 4.0.6
  - bruteforcesettings: 3.0.0
  - circles: 30.0.0
  - cloud_federation_api: 1.13.0
  - comments: 1.20.1
  - dav: 1.31.1
  - deck: 1.14.6
  - documentserver_community: 0.2.0
  - federatedfilesharing: 1.20.0
  - files: 2.2.0
  - files_downloadlimit: 3.0.0
  - files_external: 1.22.0
  - files_pdfviewer: 3.0.0
  - files_reminders: 1.3.0
  - files_sharing: 1.22.0
  - files_trashbin: 1.20.1
  - files_versions: 1.23.0
  - groupfolders: 18.1.8
  - keeweb: 0.6.22
  - logcleaner: 1.1.8
  - logreader: 3.0.0
  - lookup_server_connector: 1.18.0
  - maps: 1.6.0
  - metadata: 0.23.0
  - notes: 4.12.3
  - notifications: 3.0.0
  - oauth2: 1.18.1
  - onlyoffice: 9.11.0
  - ownershiptransfer: 1.2.1
  - password_policy: 2.0.0
  - passwords: 2025.10.10
  - passwords_handbook: 2025.10.20
  - photos: 3.0.2
  - privacy: 2.0.0
  - provisioning_api: 1.20.0
  - serverinfo: 2.0.0
  - settings: 1.13.0
  - spreed: 20.1.10
  - support: 2.0.0
  - survey_client: 2.0.0
  - systemtags: 1.20.0
  - text: 4.1.0
  - theming: 2.6.0
  - twofactor_backupcodes: 1.19.0
  - unroundedcorners: 1.1.5
  - updatenotification: 1.20.0
  - user_ldap: 1.21.0
  - user_status: 1.10.0
  - viewer: 3.0.0
  - webhook_listeners: 1.1.0-dev
  - workflowengine: 2.12.0
Disabled:
  - admin_audit: 1.20.0
  - contactsinteraction: 1.11.0 (installed 1.10.0)
  - dashboard: 7.10.0 (installed 7.9.0)
  - encryption: 2.18.0
  - federation: 1.20.0 (installed 1.19.0)
  - firstrunwizard: 3.0.0 (installed 2.18.0)
  - integration_dropbox: 4.0.3 (installed 4.0.3)
  - nextcloud_announcements: 2.0.0 (installed 1.18.0)
  - openotp_sign: 1.30.1 (installed 1.30.1)
  - recommendations: 3.0.0 (installed 2.1.0)
  - related_resources: 1.5.0 (installed 1.4.0)
  - sharebymail: 1.20.0 (installed 1.19.0)
  - suspicious_login: 8.0.0
  - twofactor_nextcloud_notification: 4.0.0
  - twofactor_totp: 12.0.0-dev
  - weather_status: 1.10.0 (installed 1.9.0)

Nextcloud Signing status

No errors have been found.

Nextcloud Logs

This is an older Message:

{"reqId":"gS9Z4EsONWFsmHDC6mPx","level":3,"time":"2024-07-26T07:35:01+00:00","remoteAddr":"","user":"admin","app":"PHP","method":"","url":"--","message":"fopen(/var/www/nextcloud/config/config.php): Failed to open stream: No such file or directory at /var/www/nextcloud/lib/private/Config.php#221","userAgent":"--","version":"29.0.4.1","data":{"app":"PHP"}}

Additional info

Additional Context
local storage not affected
File operations work normally once any content is added to the file
This appears to be a general file handling bug for empty files on external SMB storage

Start by reproducing the issue through the Nextcloud Files interface with an empty file on SMB/CIFS external storage, using both creation methods described. Compare opening and deleting 0-byte files with files containing one character. Done means empty files can be opened, edited, and deleted through Nextcloud, while local storage and non-empty files continue to work.