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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."

New Here ,
Jan 06, 2017 Jan 06, 2017

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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.

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correct answers 2 Correct answers

New Here , Aug 10, 2017 Aug 10, 2017

Thank you Michael, and I would like to just map out these instructions for windows users,  as it worked superbly!

1. Click on File Explorer

2. At the top of the page, go to the far left pull down menu call "View" (it's the last in the row of File_Home_Share_View)

3. Click on View

4. To the right, the first box is the "Panes" box and gives you 3 icons to choose from. Click once on the "Preview Pane" option.

5. Like Michael said above, you can also use ALT P to toggle this choice on and off.

This worked

...

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New Here , Feb 28, 2018 Feb 28, 2018

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.

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New Here ,
Jan 14, 2022 Jan 14, 2022

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This workaround worked for me, all the others failed. Thanks, a game changer to be sure!

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Engaged ,
Sep 04, 2023 Sep 04, 2023

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This seems to be one of those annoying anomalies for which no explanation exists. Here's another twist. I have a pdf form that includes a button with a Mouse-up action that calls a folder level script to save the pdf to a client's folder with a relative path. I have two scripts that I have used with that mouse up action. One script saves the pdf to the client's folder without flattening it. The other script first flattens the pdf, then saves it to the client's folder. Other than this.flattenPages({nNonPrint: 2}), the script bodies are identidal.  The script that flattens the form saves it to the client's folder with no error. The script that does not flatten the form throws the error "file may be read-only, or another user may have it open." Those same scripts are used with other forms that never throw this error with either script. The point of this post is to recognize that occasionally there is no dependable known solution.

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New Here ,
Jul 29, 2021 Jul 29, 2021

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Life saver! Thank you for this.

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New Here ,
Jan 07, 2022 Jan 07, 2022

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i can confirm that this worked here too. 

weird

 

i can only imagine how you discoverd this little workaround. 

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New Here ,
May 31, 2022 May 31, 2022

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Hi Michel

Try enable "File name extension" in File Expolrer under view "show/hide section".

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New Here ,
Feb 28, 2018 Feb 28, 2018

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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.

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Community Beginner ,
Jun 22, 2018 Jun 22, 2018

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Yep, that was it for me, Google sync was waiting for me to respond to a save or remove. Once I did that, problem went away

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New Here ,
Jun 02, 2021 Jun 02, 2021

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Thank you, but how do I 'simply quit the back-up/sync utility'? I work on a Macbook Pro so this would mean turning-off the automatic saving to the ICloud for Desktop/Documents or something? I would still like to save my pdf's in the ICloud... 
This problem occured to me today.
Cheers 

 

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New Here ,
Apr 18, 2018 Apr 18, 2018

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I have the same issue, but only with CS5.5 when I'm using Illustrator. It drives me MAD as I have to then have multiple files and remember which one I really am using/working on. There needs to be a fix for this. I didn't have the issue until Win 10 and just a few months ago. I haven't had the issue with my CS6 versions...yet. PLEASE provide an update to fix this. I am in IT and have checked all permissions, no preview panes...nothing is wrong or abnormal, it just won't let me save over a file.

I'll try turning off Google, but I even tried only having the file on the desktop and that didn't work either. I use G-Drive and would think there'd be a fix for this as a number of people use this.

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New Here ,
Apr 19, 2018 Apr 19, 2018

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I paused G-Drive and am also saving to the desktop and have NOT had the issue anymore. I also was able to save to my G-Drive with it paused without any issues.

Thank you to all for the replies, but the comment about being in IT and using CS5.5 was interesting. If you spend over $1k on a program, do you just dump it if it still works on an OS update? Maybe you have that kind of cash but I do not. Also, I wish they'd keep updating rather than CC as I also own CS6 but you can only use so many copies on so many computers. Getting the facts before posting such a poor opinion would serve you well to learn and to be a better human in the future. Everyone has a story...including you.

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New Here ,
Jan 28, 2021 Jan 28, 2021

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I had this error when trying to split files using bookmark name as file name. I finally figured out that one of my bookmarks had a "/" in the bookmark name. I would get files created up until that file, then it would error out and say that the file was read only. In reality, it was trying to name the file with a bookmark that had an inappropriate character.

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New Here ,
Nov 28, 2023 Nov 28, 2023

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This needs to be fixed. There is no solution and I have done research. 

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New Here ,
Apr 27, 2018 Apr 27, 2018

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Same issue. If you change the default reader from Preview to Adobe Reader, it will save.

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New Here ,
May 15, 2018 May 15, 2018

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I had the same problem on my Macs and after reading posts, I quit Prosoft Data Backup and it seems to be working fine now.

Unfortunately, I'll have to open the backup software and do the backups manually every day unless I can either find a backup program that doesn't tie up the files or figure out how to make Data Backup not tie up the files.

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New Here ,
Jun 15, 2018 Jun 15, 2018

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I was also having this same trouble on multiple devices, just started yesterday. I use Dropbox Business for file sharing with coworkers. "pause syncing" before saving the file worked GREAT. Then just resumed syncing after saving. Thanks for the help!

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Community Beginner ,
Jul 10, 2018 Jul 10, 2018

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Wanted to share in case it helps someone else....the user was saving to OneDrive...Windows 10....Adobe Acrobat Pro DC....same error....did some searching and came across this article and a few others....all suggestions failed....then I simply added her OneDrive for Business account in "Storage" and she could save the file just fine!  Very strange that it doesn't work when pointing to "Storage/My Computer" and selecting her local OneDrive location (C:\OneDrive\OneDrive - xxx-xxx) - which is synced.

See how things are moving forward - hopefully no more issues!

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Guest
Aug 10, 2018 Aug 10, 2018

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worked for me.  Thank You - this was driving me crazy.

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New Here ,
Aug 21, 2018 Aug 21, 2018

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I had a user that had these issues... I was able to fix it by setting the folder permission to something other than "READ ONLY"

The user's profile was not allowing changes, thus it would not allow me to save the PDFs to his desktop.

Windows Defender was also protecting the PC from Adobe Reader until I whitelisted the software.

Just sharing....

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New Here ,
Apr 15, 2020 Apr 15, 2020

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I had this problem, and it was because I had moved the file to a different folder while it was open on my Mac. Adobe Acrobat appears to have issues with that.

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New Here ,
Oct 28, 2020 Oct 28, 2020

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Just wanted to add this as an alternative.  

- Open your File Explorer

- Click on View

- Click on Preview Pane to turn if off. 

This helped me when my users were experiencing this issue. 

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New Here ,
Feb 12, 2021 Feb 12, 2021

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Suspending cloud storage sync helped me

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New Here ,
Mar 02, 2021 Mar 02, 2021

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that worked!  Gracias, I have spent hours trying to resolve this issue.  it just started happening, not sure how it got changed to begin with.  thanks!  Don

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New Here ,
Mar 30, 2021 Mar 30, 2021

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Error : 

 

defaultgach1qye63aj_0-1617152476206.png

 

 

Fix to save the file on cloud. 

Step -1 Pause the sync 

 

Step -2 Go to any file > Click Save as >  Rename the file  for example : Parris.com rename it to Parris.comm > then you would be able to save the document. Once the documents is saved then rename back to Parris.com. Then start the sync. That's it. Now you can see all the files synced successfully to OneDrive , Google drive. 

 

Thanks, 

Ravi Kumar 

 

 

 

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New Here ,
Apr 21, 2021 Apr 21, 2021

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This wont help everyone, but if you have Adobe Illustrator, open the PDF using that application, then simply 'save as' and choose PDF format.

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New Here ,
Jun 18, 2021 Jun 18, 2021

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After I received this message while trying to save the file in Windows, I switched the save location to Desktop, saved it there, and then moved it from the Desktop to the location where I wanted to save it.

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