Participant

Answered

Can't save: "The file may be read-only, or another user may have it open. Please save the document with a different name or in a different folder."

Forum|Forum|9 years ago
January 6, 2017
30 replies
293923 views

I've seen this issue all over the internet when I've searched for an answer. And it looks like it has been around for years. The only solution I've seen is to close the window pane in Windows. But what about for Mac users?

I just bought a new macbook pro. I had a 2011 macbook pro previously, with Acrobat Pro X. I backed up my computer in time machine, started up the new computer, and restored the old computer's data to the new one. Everything is the same and works fine except that I cannot save PDFs when I edit them. The only workaround I've found is to open a new folder, which I can "save as" to the new location, but then I can't save future edits there unless I send them to yet another new folder.

The error message is: "The file may be read-only, or another user may have it open. Please save the document with a different name or in a different folder."

This is driving me crazy. Someone please help.

Correct answer Citizen Zero

This worked for me

If your file/asset is in a folder that is synced with Google Drive, Drop Box, One drive or the like simply quit the backup/sync utility and then hit save on the file. Note: "Pausing" the sync may not allow a file save. You must quit the sync app.

S

Sun35243686o2cp

Participant

If you have BitDefender Antivirus for mac installed and in the Bitdefender dashbord you have 'Safe File protection' selected on, that will generate the error message "The file may be read-only, or another user may have it open. Please save the document with a different name or in a different folder". Uncheck the safe file protection and Adobe Acrobat will save files now with no issues.

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Martin2404567069rk

Participant

The issue is primarily caused by having the Preview window activated in File Explorer. If Preview is turned on, Windows considers the file to be in use, preventing the user from saving over it. The simple fix is to have the user open Adobe directly (we Pin it to the start menu so that it is easy to find), then have them open the file from within Adobe. This allows them to keep their Preview window open for when they want to just view files quickly in File Explorer. Just a reminder, that if they are previewing the file that they open directly from within Adobe, the issue will recur.

S_S

Community Manager

Hi @Martin2404567069rk,

Hope you are doing well. Thanks for sharing the observations.

Adding my points from the entire thread, if a file has been shared or is located on a shared drive, and opened on different systems by different users, it could also trigger the warning.

The other is the preview pane in explorer, which could cause the error, as saving changed to the file that is being previewed on the Explorer will require Windows to adapt to the change on preview too, thus the error message.

-Souvik

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TERRY31204005mpu9

Participant

This does not appear to work at this time. There is no option to turn off the Preview under the View menu, nor does Alt P work. Please provide an updated answer to this same problem. Thanks

M

Mike336918213zqa

Participant

https://x.com/xPr0grammer/status/1725593758148825094?s=20

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LoriPax

Participant

Mac user here (Ventura 13.3.1). This has been happening to me fairly regularly lately, and it's maddening. I've tried resetting all permissions to read & write and paused all my backups (CrashPlan & Time Machine), but still no love. Once you get this message, all of your changes are toast. Fortunately, I can export the comments and then reimport them into the reopened file, and from that point, I can save. Just dropping that here so it might save someone some grief down the road. I've made it a habit to just export comments every so many changes when I'm working on a proof so that I don't lose more time. Adobe needs to fix this bug, whatever it is.

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Eric28196647w46p

Participant

Hi, I need to enable preview pane and modify a lot of pdf file from map drive directly. I received the same error all time.

The error message is: "The file may be read-only, or another user may have it open. Please save the document with a different name or in a different folder."

Someone please help. Thanks

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Page27741056ubdu

Participant

This helped. It will also help to uncheck the file while it's open.

A

Ali26160848pjiw

Participant

Thanks for your help , really worked with me

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yiaxiong1234!

Participant

A lot of people commented that turning off preview pane in file explorer fixes the problem and I confirmed that it works, especially for shared folders or network drive locations, but what if preview pane was required by a user? I realize a user can simply toggle preview on and off but if a person's role is to edit PDF documents all day, this would not be efficient. There must be a real fix and not just a workaround.

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Christine256187541a89

Participant

I agree. Mine worked for a bit, but then there was an update and now it is back to saving with an "a" after everything and then deleting the original invoice, then deleting the "a" after the original name. Frustrating.

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Kürşad22409029926q

Participant

I did what was said here, but none of them worked. I saved the last file as untitled-1 without giving any name. And so I was able to save it. then my file name I changed it in my folder. I wanted to share it in case there is a solution.

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stayzlynn003

Participant

Did you try disabling the preview file option in File Explorer? That was the only thing that allowed me to save my document. Once I turned that option off, I was able to save it.

Good luck.

Y

yoyo5EDE

Participant

Another Solution is to open your Antivirus program and check the allowed and blocked apps and make sure to place the illustrator.exe file in the allowed apps so that the Antivirus program doesn't automatically stop it from making changes to your files

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