Lock File Issue - Indesign allowed mulitple users to access the same file at once on a network drive

Question

Recently, InDesign allowed two users to access and edit the same file located on the network drive. User A was actively working on a file, while User B was able to open and work on it. User A was subsequently kicked off the file, all edits and changes were overwritten, and the software crashed.

According to User B, the file did not generate a lock file, which usually prevents other users from accessing the file and making changes. We store our working folders and InDesign files on a network drive. It is unclear if both users were using the same InDesign version. User A may have been using InDesign 2026, while User B was likely using the latest version of InDesign 2025.

The issue occurred twice in two separate InDesign files and has not happened again.

BobLevine · Accepted Answer

If you open an older file in a new version of InDesign it will open as [converted] until it's saved. And until you do that, there is no lock file generated.

Abhishek Rao · Answer

Hi @Nicole26208779vvnz,

I'm really sorry to hear about the trouble you ran into. InDesign does support working across networks, removable media, and cloud-synced folders like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive, and it's tested across many configurations. However, not all setups, especially when different software versions, hardware, access rights, or network settings are involved, have been tested, and sometimes these differences can cause unexpected behavior.

To avoid this in the future, I'd recommend working on files from a local directory, such as your Desktop, and then manually copying them back to your network drive or cloud folder once you're done editing. This helps prevent conflicts and ensures the lock file behaves as expected.

Additionally, it would be helpful to have your network or IT team check the network logs when this issue occurs again. That can help pinpoint the cause and confirm if the lock file communication was blocked or failed to register.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any more questions or need further assistance.

Abhishek

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