Placeholder Files

This technical note discusses placeholder files and files not converted for self-upload jobs.  The Lexbe eDiscovery Platform (LEP) converts files to PDF or TIFF files as part of ESI automated processing.  See Supported File Types for more information.  

Three (3) Types of Placeholder Files in Lexbe

Failed-to-Convert Placeholders: Standard file types may generate a failed-to-convert placeholder upon upload for various reasons. This placeholder will appear in the PDF tab in the Document Viewer when the native file was successfully uploaded, but LEP was unable to generate a normalized PDF image of the file. This typically results from a corrupted or damaged file, a password-protected file where no password was supplied, or an internal file structure that the conversion engine could not process. 

What to do: The native file is available for viewing/download from the Native tab in the Document Viewer even though no PDF image was generated. If produced using LEP's Production Job tool, the placeholder will be assigned a Bates number corresponding to the Bates number assigned to the Native file in the Originals folder. If you need a working normalized PDF of the file (to Produce, Redact, etc.) some standard file types that failed to convert can be converted manually as a professional service (billable hourly or per GB, depending on the file type and issues involved). Please reach out to Professional Services at support@lexbe.zohodesk.com to request investigation into the placeholders at the current hourly rate. 

Unsupported Placeholders:  There are certain file types not supported by LEP for PDF viewing. An Unsupported placeholder will appear in the PDF tab in the Document Viewer when the native file's format is not one LEP is able to automatically convert. Examples include certain proprietary, executable, files; audio or video files not designed for display in PDF format; certain file types that require a specific program or application to access and view; and other possible data-related issues. This is a file-type limitation and not a processing error. The file is not damaged, but no viewable image will be generated for this file type regardless of reprocessing. See Supported File Types for more information.

What to do: No action is needed to fix this placeholder. Reprocessing will not produce a different result since the file type itself is not supported for PDF conversion. You will need to download and view the native file from the Native tab in the Document Viewer using the appropriate software or application required to access the file type. If produced using LEP's Production Job tool, the placeholder will be assigned a Bates number corresponding to the Bates number assigned to the Native file in the Originals folder.

Failed to Upload Original: A placeholder will also appear in the PDF tab in the Document Viewer if the native file did not fully transfer into the case during upload, so no native file exists for this document. This differs from a Failed-to-Convert or Unsupported placeholder, where the native is present but could not be converted. Here, there is no native file to convert. Common causes include an interrupted or incomplete data transfer; a file that was corrupted or blocked prior to upload; or a file exceeding the platform's upload size limit. 

What to do: Locate the original source file and re-upload it to the case. If the file was within the platform's size limit and the upload still fails, contact Professional Services at support@lexbe.zohodesk.com and provide the appropriate Document IDs so the upload attempt can be investigated before you retry. 

NOTE: The failure to convert a file during processing does not mean it does not contain probative evidence, only that it did not convert with automated procedures.  These files should be reviewed and further steps taken to convert, when appropriate.

How to Identify Files Marked with Placeholders

From the Browse/Search page, apply Filters on the Placeholder field and select Unsupported, Failed To Convert or Failed To Upload Original. 

You can also see the Placeholder files at a glance from the Browse/Search page by viewing the Placeholder column.  A checkmark in the placeholder column associated with a document indicates that one of the three placeholder types above is present.

Case Assessment Reports (Self-Upload QC)

Use the Case Assessment page to create advanced visual reports to track placeholder files during the review process. 

Container Files

Container files (e.g. zip, pst, .rar, .7z, etc.) are given a placeholder in the PDF tab whether expanded or not.