An application is running on a windows XP prof machine picking up file from a network share from another windows machine. It detects that the file has been updated (by date and time or optionally file size) and reads it for any new data.

Most of the time the last write time and file size, seems to be up to date. Occasionally, this information stops being updated, even though the file is growing (intermittently during the day) with appended content, so that the last write time and file size remain fixed at some arbitrary moment.

This is visible in explorer, where it shows a fixed last write time on the reading machine.

Just opening the file to edit it in notepad, immediately refreshes the file properties, and the other application picks up where it left of.

The file location can't be changed, nor the location of the relevant applications.

Any solutions to resolve this problem?