Schema lock on features in feature dataset

[MatthewBaker2]

All,

I can't seem to find a way to get around a schema lock issue I'm having with features in the feature dataset containing my network dataset.

My workflow involves running a GP model to add new streets to the ND...rather than processing the entire City of Denver's roads, I clip out what I need, and re-add it to the feature dataset. However, I keep getting a schema-lock error when I try to overwrite the existing road network feature class:

ERROR 000601: Cannot delete [dataset]  May be locked by another application.
Failed to execute (toolName).

I've read about anti-virus software processes maintaining a lock, but don't think I'm running any of those.

And of course there isn't any Arc-products running either...

Any thoughts appreciated!

Thanks,

-mb

[MichaelVolz]

Are you sure there is no lock from the initial clipping operation that you are performing?

[MatthewBaker2]

Well I just restarted my machine, and the features are locked by way of the network dataset (I'm assuming)...so without doing anything to the data first, I'm not sure how to get around that issue...

[MichaelVolz]

Are you working in an SDE database?

Or a file geodatabase?

The locks would probably behave differently depending upon the environment.

[MatthewBaker2]

File geodatabase v 9.3.1

thanks!

[MichaelVolz]

I'm not sure if this would break some network dataset properties, but I would work on a copy of the data in another say working file geodatabase without the network dataset.  You could copy the data with python using a truncate and append of records to bypass any locks.  Then process your data on the working file geodatabase and with python truncate and append the records back to the file geodatabase with the network dataset.

This is only a theory as you would need to confirm that this operation does not corrupt the network dataset.  You will also need to learn python (short learning curve), if you do not already know how to program in this high level language.

[MatthewBaker2]

Ok i'll see what I can do...

Thanks for your help!

-m

[MattTaylor2]

I am having a similar problem.  I am trying to export layers from a shapefile to a file geodatabase.  I will work with couple but doesn't attach that data with the layer.  When I try to create a new layer it says that it is lock by my machine.  I have restarted but that doesn't help at all.  I can create them in a different file geodatabase and that works but I need that information in a different area than it is in.  Are there any results or fixes on getting rid of the Schema Lock?
Thanks

[JoshWhite]

Similar issue here.  I tried creating a geometric network on a feature dataset and there was an error and if I remember correctly, ArcMap decided to crash.  Now one of my feature classes is forever locked.  I try to delete it and it says it can't be deleted.  I try to create a new geometric network and it says it is unavailable because it participates in another network.  There is no other Geometric Network in the feature dataset.  For now I copied the feature class so I could add it to the Network but now I have the extra feature class that is useless.  I tried to edit it by deleting the feature in it and I get an error that says the feature could not be deleted.  The geometric network was not found.  So if the geometric network is not found then why can't I delete the feature class?  I also thought maybe it had something to do with features involved in a service but that theory proved invalid since I tried doing this with all of my services stopped.  How do I get rid of the phantom Geometric Network and useless locked file?  I've since decided I don't need that original file as part of the network because the only reason I'm really using a Network is for flow arrows.  They symbolize better this way.