Error running Etcher: "Can't configure or trim a source that is not randomly readable, skipping" Error: file closed

OS: Windows 10:0.19844.1466 w/latest updates/patches (as of 21Jan2022)
Homebrew PC i5-9600K, 32GB RAM, Gigabyte Z390UD Mobo
SDHC: Team 500r 64GB 10 (inserted into integrated SDHC reader in PC)

SDHC configured as Windows FAT32 disk

Process used:
Downloaded latest version of Balena Etcher and installed (v1.7.3.0)
Inserted formatted SDHC into integrated SDHC slot in PC
Selected file (E:…\HamPi_v2.0.img.xz) downloaded from HamPi project on SourceForge.net and used SHA check after download
Selected SDHC as selected target
Selected “Flash!”
Windows immediately pops up “Insert disk” dialog (Please insert a disk into USB Drive (H:)).
Etcher errors out with this error:
"Something went wrong. If it is a compressed image, please check that the archive is not corrupted (did this - no joy)
Command failed: C:\users<profilename>\AppData\Local\Programs\balena-etcher\balenaEtcher.exe C:\users<profilename>\AppData\Local\Programs\balena-etcher\resources\app\generated\child-writer.js
Can’t configure or trim a source that is not randomly readable, skipping.
Error: file closed
C:\users<profilename>\AppData\Local\Programs\balena-etcher\resources\app\generated\child-writer.js:1

After this there is a plethora of data - it is however unselectable and therefore uncopyable.

I looked for a log file for balenaEtcher in the file location area where balena installed - which is C:\users<profilename>\AppData\Roaming\balena-etcher - that might contain this information in order to post here it but found nothing other than the “000003.log” files which have nothing in them regarding the errors.
I also looked for a log in the C:\windows\logs directory and found nothing for balenaEtcher.

I then searched the boot partition for *.log files and didn’t find any log files associated with balenaEtcher that had the information found in the dialog mentioned above.

I wonder why balenaEtcher installs in the user profile directory instead of the normal C:\Program Files\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\ directories. I guess this may just be at the prerogative of the programmer.

Steps I have taken to troubleshoot the issue:

  1. changed out SDHC for an unused one - no joy.
    2… again, downloaded the file I am writing to the SDHC again and used SHA to check it - no joy
  2. moved the file being written from several folders deep to the desktop - no joy
  3. re-formatted the SDHC to FAT32 again - no joy
  4. deleted the partition on the SDHC and re-formatted - no joy
  5. uninstalled, rebooted, then re-downloaded balena-etcher and re-installed - no joy

I am at a complete loss as to what the problem is. I don’t understand the cause of the error that it posts nor do I know what to do about it to fix it. So if someone could please help me I sure would like to not spend all day again today trying to make this work. I have used balena etcher for quite some time with no issues and don’t understand what might have changed to cause this problem.

Thank you ahead of time!

Hi, the error

Can’t configure or trim a source that is not randomly readable, skipping.

Indicates that the source file is invalid. Etcher reads extfat4 partitions (which is what linux os’s use) and writes only the blocks used by the partition to increase speed.

This message is essentially saying that it could not read the block map to see which blocks are being used. This usually is indicative of an invalid source file.

There could alternatively be something wrong with the way blockmap is reading the file, so I will try it out and get back to you.

I just attempted to flash the HamPi image, and it worked fine for me. Can you try again? Maybe they have resolved the issue on their end.