diff --git a/.vscode/settings.json b/.vscode/settings.json
index ae489949..3a3390c6 100644
--- a/.vscode/settings.json
+++ b/.vscode/settings.json
@@ -2,11 +2,13 @@
     "C_Cpp.default.configurationProvider": "ms-vscode.cmake-tools",
     "cmake.configureOnOpen": false,
     "files.associations": {
+        "*.make": "makefile",
         "vector": "cpp",
         "utility": "cpp",
         "ostream": "cpp",
         "iostream": "cpp",
         "map": "cpp",
-        "iosfwd": "cpp"
+        "iosfwd": "cpp",
+        "filesystem": "cpp"
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/decoders/NetcdfData.cc b/src/decoders/NetcdfData.cc
index 5c1a4c42..5466f8fa 100644
--- a/src/decoders/NetcdfData.cc
+++ b/src/decoders/NetcdfData.cc
@@ -53,14 +53,14 @@ void TypedAccessor<F, T>::operator()(vector<T>& to, vector<size_t>& start, vecto
     std::transform(from.begin(), from.begin() + to.size(), to.begin(), Convertor<F, T>(var));
     // for (auto x = start.begin(); x != start.end(); ++x) {   cout << "start " << *x << endl; }
     // for (auto x = edges.begin(); x != edges.end(); ++x) {   cout << "edges " << *x << endl; }
-    
+
 }
 
 template <class F, class T>
 void TypedAccessor<F, T>::get(vector<F>& from, vector<size_t>& start, vector<size_t>& edges, NetVariable& var) const {
     var.get(&from.front(), start, edges);
-    
-   
+
+
 }
 
 Netcdf::Netcdf(const string& path, const string& method) : file_(-1) {
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ Netcdf::Netcdf(const string& path, const string& method) : file_(-1) {
 
     if (status != NC_NOERR) {
         fprintf(stderr, "ERROR while opening NetCDF file - %s\n", nc_strerror(status));
-        throw NoSuchNetcdfFile(path);
+        throw NoSuchNetcdfFile(path, nc_strerror(status));
     }
 
     int num_var;
@@ -157,11 +157,11 @@ int NetDimension::index(const string& val) {
 }
 
 int NetDimension::value(const string& val) {
-    
+
     if (variable_ != -1) {
         // int index = Index::get(variable_->type(), val, variable_->values(), variable_->num_vals());
         NetVariable var(name_, variable_, parent_, "index");
-    
+
         return var.find(val);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/decoders/NetcdfData.h b/src/decoders/NetcdfData.h
index e9372827..27f9abe3 100644
--- a/src/decoders/NetcdfData.h
+++ b/src/decoders/NetcdfData.h
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@ class NoSuchNetcdfDimension : public MagicsException {
 
 class NoSuchNetcdfFile : public MagicsException {
 public:
-    NoSuchNetcdfFile(const string& file) :
-        MagicsException("Netcdf MagException: The file " + file + " does not exist or is not a valid netcdf file") {
+    NoSuchNetcdfFile(const string& file, const string& why) :
+        MagicsException("Netcdf MagException: Cannot open " + file + ": " + why) {
         MagLog::error() << what() << "\n";
     }
 };