Apache OpenOffice Community Forum

Hello,

One of my students saves her documents and each time she opens it, it comes up as read only. I checked the properties of the document and Read Only is NOT checked. Is there a setting for Open Office that I need to change?

Thanks!

Enable viewing of hidden and archive files (at system level) and, with OpenOffice closed, in the file's directory look for and delete a lock file.

Thank you! But can you be more specific. Where would I enable viewing of hidden and archive files?

That is a system-level command; it is so long since I used Windows that I cannot tell you with certainty how to do this. I think one right clicks on the folder in question and selects "view archive and system files" (words to that effect), but as I say, I'm not certain.

Try clicking Start | Help and Support and search for hidden files - see the resultant link to Show hidden files

The point is that when someone opens C:\x...x\folder\fred.odt, AOO creates a lock file called C:\x...x\folder\.~lock.fred.odt# in the same folder.

If a user now tries to open fred.odt, AOO prevents them from doing so and offers them a Read Only version. This is because two people cannot edit the same file at the same time, nor can one person have the file open in two places.

The lock file is normally deleted when the file is closed. The problem arises if lock file is not deleted because AOO sees the lock file, and thinks the file is already being edited, so offers a Read Only version.

The cure is

1. Close AOO
2. Delete any and all lock files still left.
3. Be careful if the file is stored on a shared folder or shared file server as someone on another PC may be editing it ...

Thank you for all of the help! Problem solved!