Can't modify address locator

[JoshWhite]

For some reason, I am unable to modify my address locator.  It is stored locally but is run as a service.  I stopped all services to no avail.  I was able to successfully make a copy of the locator in the same folder but cannot delete the old one.  I cannot rebuild the locator either. 

[MichaelVolz · Accepted solution]

I ran across this exact problem.  I assume since you said it is run as a service, you have a geocode service associated with this address locator.  ArcGIS Server has some locks on the address locator, but you cannot see this in any lock files (frustrating).  I needed to reboot my server in order to release these locks.  I think you can also Stop the ArcGISServer.exe process in Windows Task Manager on the server machine which can also release the locks.

[JoshWhite]

Thanks Michael.  I did have a lox file in Windows Explorer.  When I stopped the ArcGISServer.exe process on the server machine, the lox file didn't disappear but I was able to delete it.  Then I came across what the problem actually was.  It says the locator was creating using a release of ArcGIS previous to ArcGIS 9.2. Please create a new locator.  I don't know how that is possible, since the last build was in May of this year and I was likely on 10.3 when I built it, but at least I was able to delete the locator so I can properly recreate it.

[MichaelVolz]

Josh:

Was the existing address locator that you could not delete highly customized?  I ask because it might be difficult to recreate a custom address locator in 10.3.  I would suggest using the address locator for sub-addresses, but it is new and it has some bugs as per the following links:

Single House Subaddress Locator Issues - Possible Bug?

Geocoding Houses with Units

[JoshWhite]

No, not highly customized, I changed a few settings of course, but didn't, for instance, have anything for sub-addresses. 

[BruceHarold]

The lox file isn't a file lock, it is the locator index structure, please retrieve it from your recycle bin or get it back from backup.  The system is complaining the locator is an old release because it can't find the lox file.

System locks may be invisible but because you have a service running from a shared directory where your locator is that is probably your editing problem - it is locked.

[MichaelVolz]

Bruce:

The services are stopped, yet the address locator still can not be deleted because of invisible locks from ArcGIS Server.  The only way I have found to remove these locks is to stop the ArcGIS Server windows service which stops all mapservices.

[JoshWhite]

Bruce,

OK, I now understand the lox file's purpose and wont do that again but the problem happened before I removed that file and I have the same problem as Michael.  There has to be a way to unlock a locator in order to rebuild it.  I have also found the only way to rebuild it is to stop the ArcGIS Server windows service.  When I do that I am able to rebuild and then turn it back on.  Stopping my map services, also like Michael does nothing to remove the so called invisible lock.  If I don't place the address locator on the shared drive I can't publish it as a service without copying it to the server.

[JoeBorgione]

I change settings and rebuild locators all the time with published locators.  Mine are in a composite which is the basis of the published service(s).  All I have to do is stop the published composite service, do what ever mojo I need to on the individual locators, rebuild them, rebuild the composite (not sure I have to do that, but I like to play it safe) and then restart the published composite service.  Been doing that way for 3 years or so, and don't remember having so much as a hicup...

[JoshWhite]

Mine is not a composite locator.  I use US Dual Range Addresses.   I have no idea what is different but I tried just now to rebuild it and it did it right away after simply stopping the service (but that didn't work before).  Sounds as if this is some sort of glitch or bug.