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jw71500773
Participating Frequently
April 2, 2025
Answered

I can open locked fm files without getting any notice

Hi frameworkers,

 

I have: Windows 11, FM 2022

My co-worker worked on a German manual and I work on the respective English version in another folder. Now he is on sick leave and I need to finish his work, but there are lck files in his folder, so the files are opened on his computer.

TOTALLY UNEXPECTED phenomenon in this situation:

I opened these fm files (from inside FM) without getting any notice about them being locked by my co-worker!

 

I never came across that FM behaviour before, and consequently, I do not know how to proceed with his manual. What went wrong? Or: did nothing go wrong and is there another explanation that I'm not aware of?

 

Thanks a lot in advance!

 

BRs,

Inge

Jeff_Coatsworth
Jeff_CoatsworthCorrect answer
Community Expert
April 2, 2025

No, but IT should be able to tell you if they have a session still open & running accessing the files. I suspect that they don't & those .lck files are just fragments not cleared off.

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8 replies

Klaus Göbel
Klaus Göbel
Legend
April 2, 2025

To see, who is using this file just open the lck-file in any text editor. Then you can see the user and the date.

One of the reasons why FrameMaker doesn't "complain" the locked files: In your preferences "lock files" is deactivated

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    Jeff_Coatsworth
    Community Expert
    Jeff_CoatsworthCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    April 2, 2025

    I was going to mention that, but figured that any shop that had multiple authors, already had that turned on in the preferences anyways!

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    Community Expert
    Winfried RengCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    April 2, 2025

    Hi Inge,

    I had this issue in the past, that FrameMaker updated a book, created lck files, but did not delete these lck files properly. As far as I remember, this was solved by a FrameMaker upgrade. I think 17.0.3. Check Help | About.

    I do not know, why FrameMaker does not notify you that there are lck files, when you try to open a file. I would just delete these lck files, as Jeff said.

    Best regards, Winfried

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    Jeff_Coatsworth
    Community Expert
    Jeff_CoatsworthCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    April 2, 2025

    Were the files really locked or just .lck records that hadn't been cleared?

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    jw71500773Author
    Participating Frequently
    April 2, 2025

    No idea. I cannot ask my co-worker.

    But there are also no recover files from an FM crash ... I have no clue what happened!

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    Jeff_Coatsworth
    Community Expert
    Jeff_CoatsworthCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    April 2, 2025

    No, but IT should be able to tell you if they have a session still open & running accessing the files. I suspect that they don't & those .lck files are just fragments not cleared off.

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