Minor computer irritation. Can anyone help?

[MikeG.]

This happens only when opening a Draftsight drawing. Every time I open a drawing, I get a pop-up saying:

(name of drawing).dwg is in use by Mike at Desktop NF41SU2. Do you want to open it Read-Only?

The point is, this happens every time, even if it is the first thing I do when I start the computer (a PC). I have nothing on the desktop which relates to Draftsight, other than my Autosave folder which saves a version of the drawing every 10 or 15 minutes in case the computer crashes. Also, when I open the drawing read-only, it isn't actually read-only. I can start work on it immediately, save changes, close it......all without any reference to any other drawing or saving this version in preference to the (imaginary) original version.

It's a minor irritation only, but it would be good to be rid of it if anyone can help.

 

[billw]

"Delete all DWL and DWL2 files in the same folder as the drawing" seems to be a common solution according to a quick google search. You'll need to make sure you can view hidden files to do this.

 

[Just4Fun]

I don't know anything about Draftsight but I have had similar issues with another (totally unrelated) software package. In that case there are 2 causes. One cannot be applicable to your case because you say it happens even immediately after a reboot. The other cause is that the software package creates some additional files related to your work file and these don't get closed correctly for some reason, or they get corrupted. Typically when the software package is not closed correctly. The cure is to look for additional files with similar names to your work file, and rename them. (Don't delete them in case they are essential but typically these supplementary files will be re-created if not found when the package starts up).

Anyway, not very specific but maybe it will get you looking in a new direction.

 

[MikeG.]

.........You'll need to make sure you can view hidden files to do this.

How do I do this?

 

[Lons]

Mike
You need to go into folder options click on the view tab an then tick the box which says view hidden files. I have that enabled on mine permanently.
I'm still running win 7 so you might need to look a bit harder if using win 10.

Forgot to say get into folder options via control panel.

 

[sploo]

Mike
You need to go into folder options click on the view tab an then tick the box which says view hidden files. I have that enabled on mine permanently.
I'm still running win 7 so you might need to look a bit harder if using win 10.

It's the same on Windows 10:

 

[MikeG.]

Done........but there are no DWL or DWL2 files in any of the folders associated with my drawings (as far as I can see).

 

[MikeG.]

Does this location have a significance? If so, how do I find it? :

Desktop NF41SU2

 

[donwatson]

A minor aside if I may, how do you find DraftSight ?? I used it for a long time some years ago but find I can no longer access it. Any ideas ???.Sorry for butting in
Don W

 

[MikeG.]

Superb for the money. 99% of the capability and functionality of Autocad 2D, for a tiny fraction of the cost. You can probably no longer access it because in January it went from being a freebie to costing about £90 per year.

 

[sploo]

Does this location have a significance? If so, how do I find it? :

Desktop NF41SU2

Is it your computer name? Hit the Windows key, type cmd and press Enter. On the resulting Command Prompt, type hostname and hit Enter again; that should show your PC's name.

Also - do you get this error on every file you open (even if you create a new one, save it, close it, then try to re-open it), or is it just the one drawing that causes the problem?

 

[MikeG.]

Is it your computer name? Hit the Windows key, type cmd and press Enter. On the resulting Command Prompt, type hostname and hit Enter again; that should show your PC's name.

Yes, it is.

Also - do you get this error on every file you open (even if you create a new one, save it, close it, then try to re-open it), or is it just the one drawing that causes the problem?

Every Draftsight file, yes.

 

[Garno]

I know nothing about Draftsight Mike so this is a shot in the dark.

I does sound as though the software is not shutting down properly as well as starting up when when you restart your computer. At startup you only need the essential programs running everything else can be started manually when you are on the computer.
To Check your startup (what actually loads up when switching on your comp)
Press the white windows icon at the bottom left hand side of your screen

Then press the cog icon on the left hand side of the pop-up that has just opened (it is the settings icon)

Another screen will pop up click on Apps

A list will appear, on the left hand side you will see the "Start up" tab,

Click on this to see what programs start when you switch on your comp,

Switch off any programs you don't really need (click on the blue button next to each item on the list)

Then open up Draftsight and check preferences and make sure it does not try to load at startup also make sure it does not try to open last drawing automatically upon starting,

Restart or reboot for the technically minded your computer.

That may work on the other hand it may not but if nothing else it will give you the opportunity to scale down the amount of programs that try and boot up on starting your comp.

Gary

 

[MikeG.]

I'll have a look at that later as I'm heading out to the workshop now.

The thing is, Gary, it's not just on start up, because actually I very seldom turn my computer off. However, I do shut Draftsight down generally every evening. It's not even that, though, because I can have multiple Draftsight drawings open, and the problem still arises with any others I open.

 

[sploo]

Every Draftsight file, yes.

If it's every Draftsight file then it might be some weird permissions issue on the folder where the files are stored (or some temporary folder where Draftsight is trying to store data). Sometimes folders get marked as Admin only, and a program running as "you" won't have permission to write to them.

Where are you storing/opening the files from? And does it work if you try a file in a different location?

I found this page ("DWG is currently in use or is read-only" when opening a file in AutoCAD | AutoCAD | Autodesk Knowledge Network) though unfortunately some of the suggestions are a little vague.

 

[--Tom--]

I very seldom turn my computer off. However, I do shut Draftsight down generally every evening.

I would suspect this is the reason. Rebooting the PC helps clear the cache which will drop the temp versions of the files. By not rebooting these are hanging around and so when you go to open a file it sees that there is a cached version and so warns you.

Rebooting machines generally helps keep them healthy

 

[MikeG.]

Having re-booted three times in the last 12 hours I can tell you that this hasn't changed the problem.

 

[MikeG.]

........Where are you storing/opening the files from? And does it work if you try a file in a different location?.........

The issue is the same wherever I store and open them, but I keep them all in a folder on my desktop.

 

[porker]

Have you checked the attributes of the files that are causing a problem? You can do this in Win 10 by right clicking the file in question and picking "Properties" from the menu. See if the "Read Only" box is ticked. This is where I would start.

 

[Seiken]

I don't know the app but you could try this, go to the folder your files are in, make sure you can see hidden files and see if there are any tilda fies (files that start with a ~) with the name of the file causing the problem, if there are delete them. These are backup files used by a program when its open and are normally deleted when the program closes.