PC locked up, Word Doc now locked by user

[TooterFish]

WinXP SP2
Word 2003

The user's PC locked up and she had to power down the PC manually (pulling the plug). Now the 10 or so Word docs she was working on all return her the error "The document is locked for editing by (her username)" She can still open them and save as something different but, she would prefer not to have these other versions of the file in there. Is there a way force an unlock either by MS or some other 3rd party tool?

 

[sawedoff]

Right click on the down arrow next to the open button (Open dialog box). One of the options there is "Open and repair". Give it a try.

Sawedoff

 

[tf1]

From a fresh reboot when all applications are still closed, go to the user's temp folder - normally documents and settings/username/local settings/temp - and delete everything abandoned in there. (It is a temp folder and should normally be empty.)

That should kill the abandoned Windows locking files and release the documetns for editing.


Regards: tf1

 

[Madawc]

I'd save the file under another name before doing anything else, otherwise you might lose the lot.

Madawc Williams (East Anglia, UK). Using Windows XP & Crystal 10

 

[TooterFish]

Thanks for the suggestions, unfortunately they did not resolve the issue.

We then decided to just delete the original and she can continue to work with the copy. However, she is not able to delete the file and gets the same error mentioned above. It is locked by her own username. Are there any hacks that can break that lock?

 

[tf1]

Are they all located on her PC or on a server?


Regards: tf1

 

[TooterFish]

The files are located on a Novell file server.

 

[tf1]

Here we are all trying to solve your problem believing that it is a stand alone PC and you haven't told us the MOST significant fact that these documents are on a Novell server! You need to get a Novell server expert and remove the locking files located on the Novell server.


Regards: tf1

 

[TooterFish]

I'm embarassed, I know very little about Novell and wasn't aware that that was such an important piece of info.

I will try and find an admin that can perform that unlock function.