Apache OpenOffice Community Forum

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.

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)

I see nothing in TM Process tab showing "soffice". Actually I checked all tabs and all entries.

And I tried to re-open my presentation to go back to work...got the Doc In Use Error again.

But I just found this in TM...see attached.

I'm going to END all three tasks and try opening my project again.

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.

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....

Yes, I think you should delete them.

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.

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.

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