Files is locked by another user UNKNOWN

[BenB666]

All it lets me do is select text style, then read-only or copy, which still produces no result.

[RusselB]

Based on the fact that I get the ASCII text import dialog, and the fact that there is no information shown in the dialog preview screen, I'm going to say that this file is corrupted.
This is also supported by the fact that I was unable to open the file using my file archiver.
As I'm unable to open the file using any means, I'm also unable to check if the file might be repairable, but previous experience leads me to believe that it is not.

[robleyd]

I'm afraid the entire file is comprised of null bytes - there is no data whatsoever in it.

[BenB666]

Thank you all!

[robleyd]

It might be worth looking at this answer to a similar question

[Villeroy]

So we have remaining lock files when the office suite crashed with unsaved documents or when the computer was shut down too quickly. But then the error message would mention the actual user name rather than "user UNKNOWN".

Then we have the battle of private companies on the hard disks of their clients (victims). Several "anti virus" products (including Microsoft's own crap) may block several legitimate applications (of course never any Microsoft product).

Today I searched the forum ask.libreoffice.org and found this one: https://ask.libreoffice.org/en/question ... oc-issues/ mentioning a "preview component" which displays a preview of all kinds of files. But why in hell do they deny any write access to others when they load a document for viewing? Locking files makes sense when you need to avoid simultanious write access of more than one application. But when you open a file for a simple preview there should be no reason to lock it. I guess that this "preview" functionality may do a lot more to your files than just that.

But what do I know? I don't know much about MS Windows except one thing: we have to use this crap at work because of one particular application that is not available for better systems. So I set up Windows10 as a most simple application starter with a minimum of tools and hardware drivers. Most of the rest is disabled, locked, turned off, not in use. I've never seen any "file locked by user xxx" unless I deliberately provoked an office crash.

Edit: Oh, and yes, the attached document contains no usable information anyway.

[RoryOF]

I agree with Villeroy - no usable data in the file. It is corrupted, possibly fdue to imperfect transfer from an older computer, or due to improper (usually too hasty) close down of the computer. The internal housekeeping for OpenOffice is cached in the hardware buffers on the disk dives and over hasty power off can cut the power before this data has flushed from the buffers to the disk platters. Also, a computer crash can cause the same problem. Best advice is always to use the formal close down procedure and wait a few (perhaps 10) seconds before killing the power or snapping the laptop lid shut.