No locking file

[Eljefegeneo]

No locking file. Access 2019

When I open my DB, usually there are two locking files. One for the front end and one for the back end. Yesterday one of the users was having problems so I checked the DB and noticed that the small locking file for the back end was not there. I did a compact and repair after saving a backup and the backend seems OK. I am able to relink an able to access the data, but no locking file. I created a new blank backend, moved all the tables over, tried it with this new backend, but no locking file.

What is going on? Is this OK or do I risk crashing?

 

[CJ_London]

all depends how your front end interacts with the back end. It may be someone has the front end open but to a form that does not use a linked table. Alternatively the back end has been opened exclusively - in which case a lock file is not required. The fact you could do a compact/repair implies this would be you.

The lock file appears in the same directory as the access file - whether it be front end or back end

From your description it does sound like your user is opening a front end in the same folder on the server as the backend. The front end should be on the users local machine. Not doing this can lead to corruption

 

[Eljefegeneo]

Front end on desktop, back end on server. Before even if only one user, both front end and backend have small locking file. Other DBs on same front end backend setup both have locking files. Just don’t understand why this one doesn’t

 

[CJ_London]

regret I'm out of ideas. Perhaps whatever the user problem was will give you a clue

 

[theDBguy]

Front end on desktop, back end on server. Before even if only one user, both front end and backend have small locking file. Other DBs on same front end backend setup both have locking files. Just don’t understand why this one doesn’t

Hi. I'm not saying this is the case for you, but one other time when a lock file won't show up is when the db is opened in exclusive mode.

 

[Isaac]

@Eljefegeneo I would reiterate what Cj_London said, and narrow it down to this precise question: Are you 100% positive that, when the user who opens the front end which does not create a lock file does their thing, they are "doing" (i.e., on the exact same screen, among other considerations), the EXACT same thing as when the user opens it who does create a lock file?
Like CJ said ... You should not assume that the lock file "ought" to automatically be created simply from opening the front end. It all depends on when or if the specific activity that the user is DOING in the front end, is causing a connection to the back end to occur. Maybe one user is and the other user isn't.

 

[Eljefegeneo]

OK, thanks for your input. I guess I am so used to seeing a locked back end file that I was mystified when I didn't see one. Not going to worry about it until I have a problem with it. The reason i asked in the first place was that the user told me she had a problem access the data. She could open the file but couldn't scroll through records. I know, probably a linking problem which I did fix. I am going to get them to have two people on at the same time and see if there is a problem with this.

Any of the other DB that I have which are all split always have the locked file on the back end even if only one person opens it.

 

[isladogs]

Still on the subject that a database opened exclusively does not create a lock file...
There is a client setting in Access options that determines whether databases are opened exclusively or shared.

Make sure it is set to Shared

 

[Eljefegeneo]

My settings are exactly like that.

 

[isladogs]

Your settings aren't the issue. Check the settings for the user who didn't have a lock file

 

[Eljefegeneo]

All users settings are the exact same. That I already checked.

 

[isladogs]

OK. I'm also out of ideas if that is the case.

 

[Eljefegeneo]

Thanks. Unless it causes problems, I will not worry about it.

 

[Isaac]

"Grasping at straws" here, but ... on one of my corporate laptops, some folders do not auto-refresh, I'm not sure why, but I have to press F5 before I see 'new' files - only sometimes, but not always, have no idea what the difference is.

Then there is another "opposite" of your problem which I see routinely (but not often) when working on a network file, over VPN ... I close an Access database, and the locking file does not disappear. Not sure if any of these network/folder related ideas have anything to do w/your problem. Sounds like you are OK though so far. Just throwing this in.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

There is one more issue. Has this unfortunate user EVER successfully opened the DB in shared mode at any time? If not, perhaps because of being a new user, check the the permissions for that person with regard to the shared folder. Even if NOT a new user, look at permissions. If this person has WRITE access to the folder, s/he can use the DB but ONLY in exclusive mode. If s/he has MODIFY access, sharing is possible.

The problem causing that restriction is that both "WRITE" and "MODIFY" (treated as broad-brush or high-level permissions) are complex. They contain or imply a number of advanced finer-grained permissions, one of which involves CREATE FILE and the other of which involves DELETE FILE. Usually if you lack CREATE you also lack DELETE. And the person needs the high-level MODIFY not only on the back end DB file itself but also on the folder holding that file. This odd lock-file behavior stems from being unable to create the lock file. By Access rules, if you cannot create the lock file then the ONLY way to use it is exclusively. When this happens, it overrides the FILE>>OPTIONS>>CURRENT DATABASE settings.