'File already Open'...umm, no it isnt

Ok, lets throw this one out there:

l'm running an NT4 server with about 50 nt4/2000 workstations, and occasionally when someone tries to open a shared file on the server, they get messages about that file being in use by someone on the network: and that user does not have the file open. The file is not in use, but people still can't access it. Restarting doesn't help, nor does reopening and closing the file.

l've checked around, and there doesn't seem to be any eay solution/reason for this happenning. Has anyone else seen this, or more importantly, FIXED this? ;)

This is interesting. My first question is are they random files or .doc, .xls, etc.??

One thing to look at I've heard of situations where Anti-virus programs will mistakenly thing a file is infected and lock it for hours. Usually this happens with auto-scan, a user touchs it and boom after that the file is locked.

Let me know how you make out.

I've seen it a few times when I worked as tech. but that was two years ago.

The good news is that I solved it - the bad news I really don't remeber how...

I'll keep you posted if I remeber something.

So far they have all been MS Office2000 files (ppt, xls, doc), which makes me raise the people's eyebrow.. l noticed some talk on various lists/NG's that Office will create some silly temp files that won't die very easily, but l'm not sure that is the case.

l guess an addendum to my question should be "Does anyone have a solution that can be implemented without user interjection?"; ie: these are computer illiterate end-users, so "have them delete the registry key _____ every time it happens" won't really help....but it would be a nice start!


Thank you all for your insight.

Did you look into the anti-virus thing??

I should've been clearer so let me kind of break it down again. If I have say Norton anti-virus loaded on my desktop with it set to scan all accessed files I would be able to open it and close it no problem. But if for some reason the stupid antivirus thinks that the file may be a virus it could lock the file for a period of time. At this point another user trying to access the file would get a message that I have it open even though I don't its my anti-virus.

I realize that its not a solution but it could be happening.

Have you checked in Server Manager? Is the file showing in use there?. If it is, then close the resource ONLY if you're sure the file is closed.

"iamtheman" - thats a good point,l hadn't looked into the antivirus locking the file....but unfortunately, that wasn't the solution.

Q - its odd...sometimes the server manager shows the file as being in use, other times it shows nothing. Also, generally killing the file in the server manager will release the file and allow public use, but yesterday it not only didn't allow everyone else to use it, but the person who supposedly had it open couldn't RE-open it after l killed it!


l think my original solution was the only right one: Take an axe to the gaddamn thing and get a job in shoe sales...

I've seen that a few times on my own W2K box and for me it turned out to be files in a couple of folders that had been marked Read-Only for some reason. Turned off the Read-Only attribute for those folders as well as their dependents and the problem went away.

i've seen the same thing a few times..in my case office was not deleting the .tmp files it creates when opening a .doc,.xls file...because those files were shared, and because the .tmp files sat in that shared directory, any other user who tried to open said file received the error...just a thought

I have had the same thing happen to me...my solutions was an axe but seriously I would like to know a solution to that problem as well.

Had a similar problem just the other day. It turned out that the file permissions had been changed. I took ownership of the folders/files and changed security permissions and the problem was solved.
What I would do is look at the file attributes and permissions and see if the file has been restricted.

JKS