actualbudget/actual

[Bug]: Encrypted File Sync Can Break File Loading

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#7525 opened on Apr 16, 2026

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 (5 comments) (0 reactions) (0 assignees)JavaScript (7,129 stars) (603 forks)batch import
bugcan’t replicatehelp wanted

Description

What happened?

I am trying to reload the file from the sever after a sync across devices went broken with a file reset (file was encrypted)

Expected:

I would expect the file reload to end and show the balance that was synced up from another device.

How can we reproduce the issue?

I am trying to fix issue: https://actualbudget.org/docs/getting-started/sync/#syncing-has-been-reset-on-this-cloud-file

hitting reload yeild to infite load screen, last request on server and in dev tools is list-user-files

Where are you hosting Actual?

Docker

What browsers are you seeing the problem on?

Chrome

Operating System

Mac OSX

Contributor guide

Tech stack
javascriptnodejs
Domain
full stack
Issue type
bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-2 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
mostly clear
Prerequisites
familiarity with Actual's sync protocolbasic debugging skills
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
35
Research direction
Start by examining the client side reload flow and the server endpoint for list user files. The issue suggests an infinite loading loop when a file is encrypted after sync reset. Look for missing error handling or race conditions in the file decryption or sync state. Check recent commits or linked PRs for related changes. Review the documentation on syncing reset to understand expected behavior.