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A device attached to the system is not functioning error on Export

Message logs show a "A device attached to the system is not functioning" when attempting to export an object to a target directory.

Written by Jamie Richard

Updated at February 16th, 2026

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Table of Contents

Problem / Error Cause Resolution Verification

Problem / Error

When exporting objects to a target Active Directory, you may see the following error in the message logs:

“A device attached to the system is not functioning.”

This error is typically associated with a specific object and occurs during an export job.

Cause

This error is usually caused by one or more attributes on the object containing invalid values, or values that fall outside the limits enforced by Active Directory.

For example, the sAMAccountName attribute has a hard limit of 20 characters in Active Directory.
If a mapping rule attempts to set this attribute to a value longer than the allowed limit, the write operation will fail and this error may be returned.

This can also occur if:

  • A mapping rule attempts to modify a restricted or system-controlled attribute
  • An attribute value violates formatting or length requirements
  • A complex expression generates an invalid result

Resolution

  • Identify the object associated with the error in the message logs.
  • Review the mapping rules for the affected attribute(s).
  • Check any simple or complex expressions that may be modifying the attribute values.
  • Ensure all attribute values comply with Active Directory limits and formatting requirements.

Verification

After making the necessary changes:

  • Run a Full Synchronization from the Schedule pane.
  • Confirm that the export completes without errors.
exporterror devicefailure

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