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Repeatedly get Document in Use Error, must open COPY
Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2017 3:27 pm
by Gracie
I repeatedly must open my one and only saved
Impress document as a
Copy in order to continue creating it, because I get a
Document in Use Error. However, the document in question is not open.
So I select the option to open a
Copy, Then I make my edits and
Save As using a new name.
One time, after editing, I did
Save As and used the
original (locked out) document name, but that made me uneasy. OR is that what I should do...
Save As the original name and allow it
replace the "existing" document? Actually, no, that can't be the solution because the next time I opened that same document, I got the
Document in Use error anyway.
Before I click
Save As, I look in PROPERTIES / SECURITY to make
sure that the READ-ONLY box is
not checked. But that makes no difference.
(I see this subject discussed in 2015, but I don't understand it.)
I'm using 4.1.4 in Windows 10.
Thanks.
Re: Repeatedly get Document in Use Error, must open COPY
Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2017 3:49 pm
by RoryOF
With OpenOffice closed, start Taskmanager (Ctrl Shift Esc) and kill all soffice processes shown on TM';s Details tab (Processes tab on Windows before Win10)
Re: Repeatedly get Document in Use Error, must open COPY
Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2017 6:24 pm
by Gracie
I see nothing in TM Process tab showing "soffice". Actually I checked all tabs and all entries.
Re: Repeatedly get Document in Use Error, must open COPY
Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2017 6:27 pm
by Gracie
And I tried to re-open my presentation to go back to work...got the Doc In Use Error again.
Re: Repeatedly get Document in Use Error, must open COPY
Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2017 6:38 pm
by Gracie
But I just found this in TM...see attached.
I'm going to END all three tasks and try opening my project again.
Re: Repeatedly get Document in Use Error, must open COPY
Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2017 7:01 pm
by RoryOF
OK , that's good; they used be soffice processes on any Windows I have tried (not Win 10). If you continue to get file in use errors or readonly errors you may also need to enable viewing of hidden and archive files; with OO closed, look in the directory in which your files are stored, and delete any .~lock files; these are files OO generates for internal housekeeping and can remain if OO is not closed properly, such as after a crash or an over-hasty closedown. Note that these lock files are typically only a few hundred bytes in size, whereas the files that own t hem are much larger, at least 6 KB or more.
Re: Repeatedly get Document in Use Error, must open COPY
Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2017 3:06 pm
by Gracie
in addition to your suggestion re deleting any .-lock files....should I close the three OpenOffice entries in TM/PROCESSES/BACKGROUND PROCESSES? They are there again this a.m. without my having opened the APP yet. (And, so far, I've not had any crash or over-hasty closedowns. And certainly not every time I've used the app. But it's worth a try to look and see what I find.) I'll have to open the app to see where the file is saved...I don't know that.
And when I open the app, if it gives me the "in Use" error, I'll get you a screen grab so you can see the entire message.
Really appreciate your help. I'll be back....
Re: Repeatedly get Document in Use Error, must open COPY
Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2017 3:11 pm
by RoryOF
Yes, I think you should delete them.
Re: Repeatedly get Document in Use Error, must open COPY
Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2017 6:56 pm
by Gracie
There are two attachments. First one shows the -lock files -- three of them. Next screen shot shows the Error message after TM was clean and -lock files were deleted. My wild guess is that your Wizard is creating the -lock file when I try to open my working document. But I don't know anything about these kinds of things. So I need to go back to work on my project.
Re: Repeatedly get Document in Use Error, must open COPY
Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2017 7:06 pm
by RoryOF
The lock files are there either because your file(s) are open, or because you are not shutting each file down correctly.
In OpenOffice use /File /Close, or /File /Exit to close each file; if you must open a file again, perhaps because you have forgotten something, wait a few seconds before re-opening the file. Also, when finished close OpenOffice (/File /Exit) and wait a few seconds for disk activity to cease before powering down your computer or closing the lid if it is a laptop. It is also best not to allow the computer sleep or hibernate with an OpenOffice file open.
Re: Repeatedly get Document in Use Error, must open COPY
Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 10:09 am
by Bill
Are the files open in another program? The icons that I see on .ppt files are not the same as the icons on the .ppt files in the screen shot