[Solved] Calc Files Open Read Only

claudeh · Post by **claudeh** » Tue Mar 01, 2016 5:02 pm

I have several CALC (.ods) files in a directory. If I only open one file at a time, everything works properly. But, if I attempt to open two or more files, in most instances, the file opens iconified and in the read-only mode. I can click on "Edit Mode" and I'm able to edit as expected. I can also close the file and reopen it, and it opens properly. I've monitored the directory for .lock files, and there are never any files left behind when I close my .ods files, and there are never any extra .lock files there. For example, if I have two .ods files open, I only see two .lock files, properly named, for the two open .ods files.

How can I resolve this issue?

I'm using Open Office 4.1.2 on Windows 10.

claudeh · Post by **claudeh** » Sat Jul 23, 2016 11:54 pm

I just can't believe that in nearly 5 months, no one has been able to provide any input on this issue. This is a daily problem for me, and I find it awful hard to imagine that I'm the only person in the entire world that has encountered this.

jrkrideau · Post by **jrkrideau** » Sun Jul 24, 2016 12:31 am

claudeh wrote:I just can't believe that in nearly 5 months, no one has been able to provide any input on this issue. This is a daily problem for me, and I find it awful hard to imagine that I'm the only person in the entire world that has encountered this.

You may well be the only person. I must admit I don't remember seeing a similarly posting anyway. I'd suggest Reset User Profile. This tends to cure all sorts of weird behaviours in AOO.

Post by **RoryOF** » Sun Jul 24, 2016 5:56 pm

If there is no input, it is most likely that the problem is specific to your computer or your method of work, and that no one else has had the problem. If you start with deleting or renaming the OO user profile as jrkrideau suggests, OO is at a known starting point and we my be able to help if the problem is not cured by the delete/rename of the profile.

Note that if you open a second instance of an OO file (perhaps to work at another location within that file). that instance will be read-only and the only version that will be read-write will be the first version.

claudeh · Post by **claudeh** » Sun Jul 24, 2016 6:30 pm

Deleting the profile did not help.
I stopped Open Office.
I removed the folder C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Roaming\OpenOffice\4\user
I started Open Office and created an initial profile.
I opened a CALC file without a problem.
I opened a second CALC file. It opened in Read-Only mode.
I closed the second CALC file, and reopened it. It opened without a problem.

Post by **Hagar Delest** » Mon Jul 25, 2016 9:48 pm

Well, I found some topics related to Windows 10, [rel=search.php?keywords=edit+"read+only"+"windows+10"&terms=all&author=&sc=1&sf=all&sr=topics&sk=t&sd=d&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search]this query may help[/rel].

Please add [Solved] at the beginning of the title in your first post (top of the topic) with the edit button if your issue has been fixed.

claudeh · Post by **claudeh** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 5:39 pm

I looked through all of the threads and topics Hagar found, and found nothing that alters my situation at all.

Post by **Hagar Delest** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 10:19 pm

Well, I'm not that surprised. It seems there is specific to Windows 10 that is worse than in previous versions.
You may try to file a bug report: [Tutorial] Reporting bugs or suggestions. But as long as it is not reproducible, few chances that it is taken into account...

Post by **thomasjk** » Fri Jul 29, 2016 5:46 am

I don't see any issue with opening multiple Calc files using Libreoffice 5.1. None of them were marked read only.

edit this topic's initial post · Post by **Villeroy** » Fri Jul 29, 2016 10:15 am

Change some setting in your file manager ("Explorer") to show hidden files. For any document "MyDocument.ods" that has been loaded for editing there is an accompanyied file ".~lock.MyDocument.ods#" which is normally hidden. It indicates to other applications that some application is editing "MyDocument.ods" right now. When you close the document, this file should disappear again otherwise the file is assumed to be edited by some other instance and is treated as a read-only file. If you are sure that no process is touching the document right now, you can safely delete its lock file manually but persistent lock files indicate that something goes wrong.

Post by **lino** » Fri Jul 29, 2016 11:14 am

My 2c:
Try to open a bit longer list of files and check creation time for their lock files. Each lock file should be created after its file is already open. If all lock files are created after the first file is open, all other files are in read only mode.

If so, try to use different file manager. If it's Win10 threading buffer, there is always Virtual Machine and you can run other OS.. or just install Linux and enjoy

claudeh · Post by **claudeh** » Fri Jul 29, 2016 12:41 pm

I've do that test of opening multiple files nearly every day. I've watched the .lock files get created dozens of times. Here's what happens:

There are no .lock files in the directory.
I open the first CALC file. It opens in the Edit mode and the .lock file gets created.
I open the second CALC file. It opens read-only, and no .lock file gets created.
I open more CALC files. They open read-only, and no .lock files get created.
I close the files the opened read-only, and reopen them one at a time. Each opens in the EDIT mode, and their .lock files get created as they open.

This behavior is consistent; it never varies. It doesn't matter if my computer was just rebooted or has been running for several weeks.

I know that when the files are opened read-only, I can toggle the Edit File button, and that allows me to edit the files. But files that have macros need to be closed and reopened to enable the macros to run. Once they've been opened read-only, just clicking Edit File does not allow the macros to execute.

edit this topic's initial post · Post by **Villeroy** » Fri Jul 29, 2016 3:53 pm

This is really weird. Switch to https://libreoffice.org/

Post by **thomasjk** » Fri Jul 29, 2016 4:58 pm

Try uninstalling AOO with Revo Uninstaller Free http://www.revouninstaller.com/revo_uni ... nload.html using it most aggressive settings. Then re-install.

claudeh · Post by **claudeh** » Sun Jan 01, 2017 5:14 pm

I now have Open Office 4.1.3. Following the last suggestion, I used Revo Uninstaller to remove Open Office and clean out the resgistry. The problem with CALC files opening in read-only mode continues. It appeared immediately.

edit this topic's initial post · Post by **Villeroy** » Sun Jan 01, 2017 6:11 pm

claudeh wrote:I know that when the files are opened read-only, I can toggle the Edit File button, and that allows me to edit the files. But files that have macros need to be closed and reopened to enable the macros to run. Once they've been opened read-only, just clicking Edit File does not allow the macros to execute.

Disable the execution of all macros.
File>New>Spreadsheet...
File>Save As... <any file in "My Files">
File>Close
File>Recent Documents> 1. ...
Read only?

claudeh · Post by **claudeh** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 12:39 am

I did what Villeroy suggested, but the problem remains.

Post by **keme** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 11:31 am

Is the issue limited to a specific folder, or does it occur regardless of where you save?
Do you save on a local fixed disk, removable media, or a network attached folder?
Do your file names contain characters other than valid English aphanumeric (A-Z, 0-9)?
Characters "+&%/,!|~#" are known to cause trouble in many cases. Others (like national language/accented characters, punctuation, block graphics) are also best avoided.

claudeh · Post by **claudeh** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 1:34 pm

All of my files are on my local disk in one directory:
C:/Users/Claude/Documents/Worksheets/

All have plain English names consisting of only letters, numbers, and spaces. No special characters. The problem happens with files with and without spaces in the file names. As I said earlier, the first file always opens without a problem, and then I see it with subsequent files.

claudeh · Post by **claudeh** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 1:47 pm

I forgot to mention that I created another directory, copied the files to that directory, updated the links to point to the new files in the test directory, and the problem was just as bad as before.

edit this topic's initial post · Post by **Villeroy** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 4:10 pm

Any options checked under File>Properties>Security

claudeh · Post by **claudeh** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 9:43 pm

I give up. I concede. I surrender.

I installed Libre Office and will quit using Open Office.

Problem not solved, but it's gone, as far as I'm concerned.

edit this topic's initial post · Post by **Villeroy** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 6:45 pm

Did LibreOffice solve your problem?

claudeh · Post by **claudeh** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 2:20 pm

I have not seen the problem since moving to Libre Office.

edit this topic's initial post · Post by **Villeroy** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 2:52 pm

Visual Basic and StarBasic have the same StrComp function. See F1-help. String comparisons in spreadsheets (="abc"="ABC") are always case-sensitive.

claudeh · Post by **claudeh** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 3:01 pm

So what does that have to do with my problem?

And why is this marked as Solved, since Open Office certainly did not solve it.

edit this topic's initial post · Post by **Villeroy** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 3:05 pm

Sorry, I posted to the wrong tab. I did not mark it as solved.

Post by **Hagar Delest** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 3:11 pm

I did mark it solved (as stated in the first post).
You can edit again and remove the tag and the checkmark. Since you were satisfied with LibreOffice, I didn't see the point keeping it open.
Up to you.

Post by **keme** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 3:19 pm

claudeh wrote:...
And why is this marked as Solved, since Open Office certainly did not solve it.

Because you indicated that your issue is resolved. (At least that is how I understand it.) Both the users who come here needing help and those who try to provide help can benefit from that tag.

Helpers who have looked at the issue before, can see from the post list (subforum headers list) that it no longer requires immediate attention.
Other people with a similar problem may need a similar solution. The tag provides an additional search term to use when looking for solutions.

Also, our advising is not limited to Apache OpenOffice. All problems (and solutions/tips) concerning OpenOffice.org derivatives are welcome.
See the fine print in white on light blue in the page header, which states the same, explicitly mentioning LibreOffice.

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