Problem with File Geodatabase Locking

[JenniferPhillips]

I am having problems with locks in our file geodatabase. I understand that multiple people cannot edit at one time, and that one person cannot edit while others are viewing the same layers. But we have an issue where once someone is in the map with the layer, and then closes out, it keeps the "sr" lock active, and sometimes an "rd" lock too. This prevents one user from being able to edit that layer, even though everyone else is closed out. Typically, the person already closed out will have to restart their computer to get the lock to finally release. This is a big problem, as you shouldn't have to have everyone restart their computer in order to edit.

Does anyone know how to get around this?

Thank you!

[AntonyPaul_M1]

Is your file geodatabase is compressed? If so uncompress it and try.

Thanks
Antony

[JenniferPhillips]

I don't believe that it is compressed. We did try compacting it, and the locks still hung on through that. It actually took a restart of that computer to wipe out the locks.

I found out some more information on file geodatabases, that explains some of my problem. Apparently with file geodatabases, if someone is viewing the data (has it open on their map), and then another user goes in to edit, it will not allow them to save edits, since they cannot acquire a lock. But if that person is editing the data first, and then others open it to view it, it works fine. So it comes down to who gets into the data first.

I do not have an explanation for why the locks do not go away when people close out of the program. The locks hang on sometimes until that person restarts their computer. Like I said before, they even hang on through a compaction. This happens pretty inconsistently, sometimes the locks hang on and sometimes they don't. I still don't understand this.

[LanceShipman]

The only way a lock file will persist is if a process is maintaining it.The lock files are created as "delete on close" so the operating system will delete them when the creating process closes. If the creating process has not closed the locks will remain until the process is deleted. You should never need to restart you PC to clear the locks. Is your file geodatabase local or on a network disk? What version of ArcGIS are you using?

[JenniferPhillips]

The file geodatabases are located on our server. I have ArcEditor version 10.1.3.1. The other users in the office use ArcDesktop - some are version 10, others are still on version 9.3.1. Other people in the office access our ArcReader map only and have no software installed.

Thanks,
Jennifer

[LanceShipman]

Compact only removes orphan locks (which rarely exist). The only way to orphan a lock is to pull the plug on your PC. The locks hanging around means that some process is holding on to them. The lock name includes the file name, the name of the machine, thread id and the process id.

[WayneCoffey1]

I have had a similar issue with lock files intruding on my processes. I just resolved one part of the issue when I realized I had the data published in a map service running on ArcGIS server. When I turned the service off the lock files went away and I was able to add new data/ edit existing data in the feature data set.
This seemed like the most relevant thread to post this, please add to others if this helps.

Wayne

[DanielHester]

We have a similar problem with a shapefile feature class. Periodically it will not save edits with a "Cannot save edits; cannot acquire a lock" error message. Working in 10.1 with a water main shapefile (with about 5 other users on different workstations viewing the layer). It has been suggested to us that the toplogy/rules associated with the layer is causing the problem. Does anyone know if this might be the problem and or has a solution?

Thanks!

Dan

[NidhinKarthikeyan]

Daniel,

Topology cannot be created on a Shapefile. So you can rule out that suggestion. You will receive the error if any of the other four users are editing the same Shapefile. Also make sure the attribute table is closed after other users make edit and save edits on the Shapefile.

[DanielHester]

Understoood; however the funny thing is that only one person is editing. Every other user is simply viewing the file.