What does "locked for Shared Use" mean, exactly?

Anonymous
2018-01-25T16:34:28+00:00

I've got a file in a SharePoint library that I'm trying to move to a new folder in the same library. But no matter how I try to move it, I get a message that "this file is locked for shared use," by me. But I didn't do anything to lock the file.

How did it get locked, and more importantly, how do I unlock it? Properties, Details, and similar have been unhelpful, and the old turn it off and turn it on again didn't work either.

Microsoft 365 and Office | SharePoint | For business | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2019-07-09T11:13:22+00:00

    Hmm, interesting. So in this instance, I would double check that there are no links, clear your cache entirely (ensuring that you untick passwords etc) and finally close everything down using task manager. Reopen your browser (I would suggest using chrome if you are not) and then try again. 

    If this still doesn't work, then it must be some other murky issue going on. I hope this helps.

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-07-08T17:11:40+00:00

    Thank you for the idea Jessica. There was an outstanding link which I removed per your instructions. I waited an hour to be sure to give the system a chance to remove the hold but I still encounter the same error message. I also ensured that the file was closed out on the computer that had originally opened the file. 

    Stephen 

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  3. Anonymous
    2019-07-07T15:38:13+00:00

    Here is another resource for SharePoint Online:

    Cannot Release Lock on SharePoint OnlineFilehttps://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/SharePoint/Cannot-Release-Lock-on-SharePoint-Online-File/td-p/59694

    The other link I provided from benstegink.com is a PowerShell command that only works with SharePoint Server.

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  4. Anonymous
    2019-07-02T17:07:06+00:00

    Hi Jeff,

    To narrow down the issue, you can follow the steps below to check whether the file require to be checked out before it can be edited.

    1. Go to the SharePoint library, click settings icon > Library settings.
    2. Click Versioning settings under General Settings.
    3. Check whether you have chosen Yes in Require Check Out. If yes, please choose No and check the result.

    Regards,

    Tisky

    Hi Tisky,

    When you say "Go to the SharePoint Library", are you referring to SharePoint's 'Document Library'? If not, can you provide more details/context for Step One?

    Thank you

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  5. Anonymous
    2019-05-20T22:40:44+00:00

    Thank you for sharing this Anne. I'll share with my team.

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