"File Not Found" error when file exists

[Aegis Kleais]

Are you getting a HTTP Protocol 404 error or are you getting errors when you
use a FileExists function? Do you have CF's global error template enabled? Do
you have mapping paths or virtual directories that may be redirecting the
actual location of the file?

[Dylfo]

Thanx, we are not getting 404 errors or using file exist function or global
templates. I will confirm re. mapping paths and virtual directories but
believe we are using this. Will update in 12 hours. Only stop-start Cold Fusion
has ever cleared problem but sometimes clears on its own.

[Dylfo]

Update:
Re: your question: "Do you have mapping paths or virtual directories that may
be redirecting the actual location of the file?"

I have checked into this, and there are no virtual directories on IIS for this
file. It is in the root folder of our website, and the file is not found when
the URL is typed into a browser's address bar or linked from an email.
The error is random and intermittent. The file can be accessed without error
for months, and then without any changes to the system, the 'File not Found'
error will suddenly appear and almost always requires a CF 'Stop-Start' to fix.

This is not a standard IIS 404 error -- it is a specific ColdFusion error that
state only: "File not found: /filename.cfm" (and then the usual diagnostics,
etc).
We are not using CF global error template, but I am looking at enabling this.

Thanks very much for your help.

[Dylfo]

Possible Solution:

The issue appeares to be a caching problem, where a temporarily unavailable
page becomes cached and not looked at again later (only the cache copy is used).
1) System clock appears to be 10 hours behind FTP datestamp of uploaded files
(hence uploading a new version didn't clear the cache).
2) ColdFusion Server Setting: Caching Page: "Cache web server paths" was
selected, however there are several websites on the server. This has been
corrected.
If problem continues, I will update with more information.