InDesign file on file server getting locked

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
January 14, 2025
2 replies
378 views

Hello,

A customer has contacted me with a problem they are experiencing in InDesign. They are three users who all use Mac and they work against a file server on a Mac Mini, the files that they open and work with are located on this said file server on their office network.

They currently use InDesign version 20.0.1 but have experienced this problem for 2+ years.

The problem that sometimes occurs is that when one user has closed an InDesign file (.indd) the other two cannot open this file and it says that it is locked/read-only. However user 1 who had the file open has closed it completely.

To get around this they have to resave the file with a new name and this is frustrating and risky for them if they happen to open an old file and work in it believing that it is the current latest version

Robert at ID-Tasker

Legend

@Bebbzor365

Is there a leftover - file with IDLK extension - next to the INDD file?

B

Bebbzor365Author

Participant

According to the customer, there is no such file.
I have asked them to call me the next time it happens so I can connect and take a screenshot of what files are in the folders.

Robert at ID-Tasker

Legend

This file is created when INDD file is open - to prevent opening by someone else.

This file should be deleted - automatically - when InDesign is properly closed.

If someone disconnects too quickly from the server - by, for example, closing the lid of the laptop - InDesign might not be able to delete this file.

Abhishek Rao

Community Manager

Hi @Bebbzor365,

Thank you for reaching out! I understand how frustrating this issue must be for your team, and I’m here to assist.

As the file gets locked after one user closes it, this could be related to the file-sharing configuration on your server. I recommend having your internal IT or Networking team review the file-sharing protocol settings on the Mac Mini file server. There might be configurations or permissions that are causing the file to remain locked.

Additionally, for the best functionality with InDesign, we recommend saving files locally to the machine you’re working on. Once the work is complete, you can upload the file back to the server. This approach reduces the risk of file corruption, access issues, and potential data loss.

Let me know how it goes after these steps are checked, or if you need further guidance!

Best,
Abhishek

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