Read-only file.

[svorgodne]

Hello everyone,

 

We are working on a file server. A colleague opened a file ina read-only modus, so I tried to open the same file, but it shows it is not possible to open because it is being used by my colleague.

 

Any idea why?

 

This is an old problem but it is very annoying

 

Thanks in advance.

Sergio

[Cad64]

If you try to open a file that someone else already has open, you will get the message saying the file is already in use and you will be asked if you want to open the file in read-only mode. That's just how Autocad works. You can't have multiple people working on the same file at the same time.

 

But, if you try to open a file that is not already open and you're still getting that read-only message, take a look here for some possible solutions: https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Error-DWG-file-is-currently-in-use-or-is-read-only.html

[Dana W]

I've never run across a legal to use professional application that will allow more than one person to edit a file at any one time.  To do otherwise is inviting disaster.  If more than one person absolutely has to work on the same drawing simultaneously, save a copy under another name, then clipboard in the changes to the original later in a controlled agreed method.

[svorgodne]

I am afraid I was not clear enough.

 

"A colleague opened a file ina read-only modus"

 

That's what I first wrote. I perfectly know it is not possible for two people to work on the same file at the same time. I think there is no existing program that allows that. And I mean work on the same part of the drawing. Even Revit does not allow to work on the same part once a user is working on it, until it is released. I have been programming in Autolisp for many years already and I pretty much know how AutoCAD works.

 

That was not the question.

 

The problem is that he opened the file as a read-only and still I could not open the file to work on it.

 

I assume there has to be a bug on the network that restricts the file to be used by a second user even if it was first opened as a read-only file and this is not the first time to happen. Therefore, I thought some of you might have gone through this situation as well and found a solution.

 

The link is showing important information and yet my situation is not considered in any of the listed points.

 

In the case I find a solution I'll be more than glad to share it with you. In the meantime, I thank you all for your kind answers.

[RobDraw]

This misunderstandings are just that, misunderstandings.

 

Are other users able to open it when it is opened as read only?

 

Were you able to open it when the user closed the file?

 

Are XREFs a part of this scenario?

[CyberAngel]

When you open a drawing, AutoCAD creates a .dwl file in the same folder to signal that it has placed a lock on the drawing file. If your session ends unexpectedly, the .dwl file isn't removed. Have you checked the folder for the presence of an orphaned lock file? (Later versions include a .dwl2 file as well.)

[svorgodne]

1 hour ago, RobDraw said:

This misunderstandings are just that, misunderstandings.

 

Are other users able to open it when it is opened as read only?

 

Were you able to open it when the user closed the file?

 

Are XREFs a part of this scenario?

 

Hey Rob,

 

Thanks a lot for your kind answer.

 

It happens randomly, although there was another colleague which was always having this problem, so my guess is that there is a bug with th network.

 

Yesterday it was looking one user had it open, he turne his computer off and the problem persisted. Another user had it open with the same read-only condition and it was only until this last user closed it that I could use it.

 

It was strange it looked like it was opened by the first user. So I could test it with the "Whohas" command, even after he left.

 

In any case, when they close their AutoCAD session, the problem is over.

 

I think it is this kind of deeply specific bugs not having any known solution.

 

I thank you very much for your time.

 

Cheers

[svorgodne]

17 minutes ago, CyberAngel said:

When you open a drawing, AutoCAD creates a .dwl file in the same folder to signal that it has placed a lock on the drawing file. If your session ends unexpectedly, the .dwl file isn't removed. Have you checked the folder for the presence of an orphaned lock file? (Later versions include a .dwl2 file as well.)

 

Yup, I did.

 

Thanks

[Dana W]

After re-reading your reply to RobDraw, there appears to be more going on than I thought at first.  There must be a network issue that is not reading file locks properly.  Still it seems to be outside of AutoCad, and maybe not even a Windows issue.  Probably more than one issue, possibly exacerbated by one user or more forgetting to reset the file's Read-Only attribute.

 

I would suggest having a conversation with the AutoCad users about the necessity of opening a file Read-Only since that locks out editing for everyone anyway.  I will leave my original post here (except for the petulant parts   Most of it is applicable. 

 

The only way to open a file as read-only when the file is not already read-only, and not already open is shown below in the attached image.  This method is found by right clicking the file name and selecting Properties.  One can also do it in the Windows navigation pane.  This locks the file to read-only for everyone else too.  It changes the Windows level file attribute itself, not just the usage status of the first one opening the file.  This applies for files on a server or on a local drive.  The attribute has to be reversed manually.  Just closing the accessing program will not do it.

 

Previously, I replied to this thread with a very simplistic answer, not meant to talk down to a particular person, which was meant to be informative for those with very little experience.  We have readers with zero experience that should be kept from following suppositions about software and computers down the wrong road.

 

This is not a bug in AutoCad or in Windows. CyberAngel is right about the *.dwl file too.  That is also not a bug.  It is hard for a program to trap an error after it has been blown out of the core.

 

Only one person at a time can open a file for edit. 

 

If the first person opening the file opens for edit, then the file read-only attribute is not changed, but it is locked for edit to the first user. 

 

If the first user changes the file attribute to read-only at open then the file is read only for everyone.  Someone then MUST manually change the attribute back after closing the file.

 

If there is a way for one user to open a closed, editable file read-only without changing the file attribute, short of some hack, please post it here.

Edited July 1, 2020 by Dana W

[RobDraw]

On 6/26/2020 at 11:26 AM, Dana W said:

I've never run across a legal to use professional application that will allow more than one person to edit a file at any one time.  To do otherwise is inviting disaster.  

 

Revit allows multiple people to be editing the model at the same time on a local network as well as the cloud.

[Dana W]

7 hours ago, RobDraw said:

 

Revit allows multiple people to be editing the model at the same time on a local network as well as the cloud.

Yes, the WHOLE "model" conceptually, but there are multiple files in a Revit "model".  I don't have access or experience to test the editing share-ability among those little files that make up the whole model but I doubt it is possible.  Of course Joe Bloe can edit walls while Suzy Creamcheese edits floors but they ain't gettin' on the floor together, betcha.  Let me know if you can.  Say hi to Suzy C. for me.

 

Then there are levels.  What is actually a FILE?  There are "flat files" that only one user can edit and or read at a time, and "random access files" 

 

Most large databases are made up of random access files. Still there is prohibition of simultaneous edit of individual records in the file. which are the groups of data items or fields that make up the file.  Take your database file in the insurance company's customer database.  The computer knows it as the "RobDraw File" in a random access database.   Several Insurance company reps can access and edit your your "file" at the same time, but only one at a time can edit the RobDraw File\Billing-Address record.  And then inside a record are fields.   The zipcode...  etc. etc. ...yawn, so on and down.

 

Think of a Revit model as a random access database (because it is a group of related files) where many users can access and edit different parts of it at the same time, and an AutoCad drawing is a flat file where only one person at a time can access any of it for edit.

Edited July 2, 2020 by Dana W

[BIGAL]

A couple of dwl left behind maybes have seen often and used to do clean up of project files can not delete a dwl if in current use ie dwg open.

 

Shutdown with autocad open.

Not really sure but click on red X rather than exit

 

A crash

 

Edited July 3, 2020 by BIGAL

[halam]

On 7/2/2020 at 1:06 PM, RobDraw said:

 

Revit allows multiple people to be editing the model at the same time on a local network as well as the cloud.

Bring on the headaches!

[RobDraw]

7 minutes ago, halam said:

Bring on the headaches!

 

Oh, the woes of the naive...

[Dana W]

Don't want to mislead anybody.

Edited August 6, 2020 by Dana W

[RobDraw]

I don't know what to say. 

Edited August 10, 2020 by RobDraw

[Dana W]

Well, OK then.  You re right, it's far more limited than I thought.  Simply put, It was intended for architects to roll everything into one huge package. 

I have removed the prior content and replaced it. 

Edited August 9, 2020 by Dana W

[RobDraw]

I don't know where you are getting your information from Dana but it sounds like you've been disappointed by the media hype. If you are at all interested in learning about what Revit can and can't do, I'd suggest starting a thread in the Revit forum rather than derailing this topic.

[f700es]

On 8/4/2020 at 12:33 PM, halam said:

Bring on the headaches!

And yet 10's of thousands work in it day after day with ZERO issues. /meh

[ammobake]

Part of this is software selection too.  I worked for an R&D company a while back that designed portable shelters for the government.

We had to have 1 master 3d model but we couldn't make it work in Autocad because we had 3 people on the design team and everyone had stuff they needed to work on.

So what we did was move to solidworks so that one person could work on the assembly, one person could be updating part files, one guy could be updating the drawing set.

Which works absolutey fine just gotta make sure everyone is saving and updating their data in the right order.

 

If you are stuck with using Autocad just use Autodesk 360 and link everything up to the cloud.  I have never needed to use it but I've heard it works great.

 

-ChriS

Edited August 10, 2020 by ammobake