Locked file wont open

[bardwells]

Document ...' is locked for editing by yourself on a different system since 17.10.2017.
options to 'open document read-only, or ignore own file locking and open the document for editing.'
regardless of choice, Open Office stops responding... and of course, it is my 2017 bookkeeping.
I have deleted OO and reinstalled (same version) no luck.

[FJCC]

First try deleting the lock file associated with your document. To do that, close OpenOffice. Make hidden files visible, if they are not already, by opening the folder containing your document, selecting the View tab and selecting Hidden Items. Then look for files whose name starts with .~lock. Delete those files and restart OpenOffice. Does your document open now.

[bardwells]

~lock file keeps reappearing. I have deleted and emptied trash and it still returns

[FJCC]

Yes, I should have explained that. The .~lock file signals that the file is in use. It should be created when you open the document and deleted when you close the document. If it is not deleted upon closing and exists before you open the file the next time, then the operating system thinks that the document is already open and issues a warning. If .~lock files are routinely left after you close the document, then OpenOffice is consistently not exiting the document correctly. If it happens just once, then something glitched but it isn't a big concern.