@Marvin I have a Prefect project on a Remote Desktop Server (RDP). Initially, I started the Prefect agent using this script: @echo off cd "C:\Users\sebastian-app-svr\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Scripts>" prefect cloud login -k xxxxxxxxxx prefect agent start --pool "default-agent-pool" --work-queue "test" cmd This setup worked fine, allowing me to create and push code directly from the RDP. Prefect Cloud retrieved the code from GitHub. After a server crash and reboot, I changed the agent's directory to the project folder due to missing virtual environment libraries: cd "C:\Users\sebastian-app-svr\Desktop\SBA Projects\prefect-sba" Since then, flows intermittently fail with this error: shutil.Error: [('C:\\Users\\SEBAST~1\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\2\\tmp5e3w4rv7prefect\\flows\\check_cert_client.py', '.\\flows\\check_cert_client.py', '[WinError 32] The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process')] This error occurs when the deployment's working_dir is set to the same route as the Prefect agent. Deployments without a working directory work normally.

It looks like your setup is encountering issues due to file conflicts when the agent tries to access files that are already in use by another process. This is indicated by the

[WinError 32] The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process

error message. ### Key Points to Consider: 1. Working Directory Conflicts: It seems that setting the

working_dir

to the same route as the Prefect agent might be causing the issue. When the agent is running, it may lock certain files, leading to the inability to access them by the flows. 2. Virtual Environment: Ensure that the virtual environment is correctly set up and all necessary libraries are installed. Here's what you can do to potentially fix this issue: ### Solution Steps: 1. Separate Working Directory: - Ensure that the working directory for the Prefect agent and the project files are separate. - This separation can help avoid conflicts where the agent and the flows attempt to access or modify the same files simultaneously. 2. Check Virtual Environment Setup: - Verify that the virtual environment is activated within the script where you start the Prefect worker. - You might need to include additional lines to activate it before running the Prefect commands. 3. Use

prefect worker

Instead: - Since Prefect 2.x prefers

prefect worker

over

prefect agent

, you should switch to using

prefect worker

. ### Example Script: Here's an example script that addresses these points:

batch
@echo off
REM Activate virtual environment (ensure this path is correct for your setup)
cd "C:\Users\sebastian-app-svr\Desktop\SBA Projects\prefect-sba"
call "C:\Users\sebastian-app-svr\Desktop\SBA Projects\prefect-sba\venv\Scripts\activate.bat"

REM Login to Prefect Cloud
prefect cloud login -k xxxxxxxxxx

REM Start Prefect worker
cd "C:\Users\sebastian-app-svr\Desktop\SBA Projects\prefect-sba"
prefect worker start --pool "default-agent-pool" --work-queue "test"

cmd

### Additional Steps for Debugging: If the issue persists, gather more details: 1. Logs: Check the detailed logs for the flow runs to identify at which point the file access issue occurs. 2. Experiment: Temporarily change the deployment's

working_dir

or isolate specific flows to test if the

.py

files are indeed conflicting. ### Documentation and Resources: To ensure you're updated on best practices and configurations, you can refer to the Prefect documentation: - Prefect Worker Documentation - Handling Windows Errors If you need further assistance or if there's an unusual behavior, it could be worth checking the GitHub issues for related problems. I can help search for these specific issues if needed.