HELP!" unable to check out this file. It may be in use..."

[nrrawlings]

New to indesign. Trying to work in a client file and it says unable to check out this file. It may be in use by someone else. HELP!

[Barb Binder]

Hi Nrrawlings:  

1. Are you opening the file from a network drive, and it someone else currently working on it?
2. Is there an .idlk file in the same folder as the file? If so, delete it if no one else is working on it.
3. What version of InDesign are you using, exactly? What version is the client using, exactly? The current version is 14.0.3.

~Barb

[nrrawlings]

Hi Barb. No not on a network drive. The file was emailed to me. So I’m opening it on my computer in Indesign. The file extension on the file I’ve opened is .idlk. The file icon has a big lock symbol on it. Do I need to have the client “unlock “ something on the file and resend me? I just down loaded a free trial of adobe creative suite today. It says it’s Adobe InDesign Cc 2018. I don’t know what version the client is on, but I’m assuming a more current version since some of the fonts, etc did not transfer over, which is fine because I’m just editing the text/copy in the document, not the design.

[Barb Binder]

You should be opening the .indd file—that's the InDesign document. The .idlk is the InDesign lock file to prevent others from working on the same file at the same time. It should be visible when then .indd file is open, and delete itself when the .indd file is closed. If it remains after the file is closed, delete in manually.

When someone shares a file with you, they should always choose File > Package to prepare a folder with everything needed to open the file. They should zip the folder, and send you the entire thing. Then you can unzip the folder, and will be able to open the .indd file and see it as it was intended to be seen, with linked images and the correct fonts. If they don't know how to so this, please send them this link: https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/how-to/save-share-projects.html.

Finally, if you downloaded the trial today, you would have downloaded CC 2019 (now just called CC, for Creative Cloud). Use Help > Updates to update to the current verions: 14.0.3.

~Barb

[nrrawlings]

Thanks for your quick responses! Ok so I looked at this more closely (learning curves!). It is an .indd file I’m trying to work in, that was my mistake saying it was an .idlk. 

And i believe I do have the latest version of indesign cc, but I think the client file is the 2018 version.

i don’t know why this pop up keeps coming up saying unable to check out this file. And that it may be in use by someone else.  Sigh...

[kwarrenburg8]

I'm having the same issue in a file I created myself. The file is on one of my external hard drives. It has the .indd extention and I'm working in InDesign 16.1. Could it possibly be because I copied some text from a Pages file?

[kwarrenburg8]

It appear it had to do with text copied from a Pages file. I copied it, made it plain text and repasted into my document with a new font.

[Barb Binder]

@kwarrenburg8:

Try deleting the .idlk file from the same folder as the InDesign file.

~Barb

[kwarrenburg8]

There is no idle file in that folder. It was text that had been copied from a Pages file that caused the problem

Kris Warrenburg
kris@cyandesign.net
www.cyandesign.net
(510) 255-1449
(631) 495-1350

[Barb Binder]

Hi NRRawlings: I would ask that the client package the file for you as per the video in the link I posted, and then resend it. When you complete your edits, follow the same process to return it to them. Package will also create an .idml file (so many extensions!) that they will be able to open, since they are on an earlier version that you are.

BTW,  you can download CC 2018 (v13) from the CC Desktop app, but I think you need an active subscription to do so. I don't think you can access it with the 7-day trial, but I could be wrong about that.

~Barb

[nrrawlings]

Thanks Barb, I’ll ask the client to do that. What’s weird is, I can edit some pages of the file, but then get that access pop up on other parts of it!

[Creamer Training]

Can you open the file? If so, it sounds more like an InCopy workflow issue. Someone may have started one by accident. Do you see any non-graphic files in the Links panel such as icml files?

[maggiel5125393]

Thank you! I found an ICML link and unlinking it solved this problem for me. Bless you!