Recursive Trans-actional Issue with Workflows that Start on Create and On Modify

In SharePoint Designer if you have a multi-step workflow that fires on creation and on modified on a library. When user initially uploads, they sometimes get an error message. You will find the workflow has fired expectedly behind the scene. It happens occasionally but when it happens it persists, user can return to site and continue and the workflow has fired.

User sees an error message is "The file XXX has been modified by XXX".

Research into this with MS Engineer and the cause was identified as a “Recursive” workflow. It appears that “Item Created/Added” and “Item Modified” events are triggered when the document is uploaded and properties are set. Therefore, the workflow will be invoked twice causing SharePoint some trouble in handling them.  Umm.

The solution was to modify the workflow in SharePoint designer and have a Pause for Duration action at the start of the workflow. It can alleviate the likelihood of the workflow crashing because they are trying to run at the same time after the user uploads - triggering the Add event and when user enters and saves some additional properties for the document in the form and hit OK.