The file is in a read-only state.

[Phil21]

I am getting the following message when opening up from a network drive.

 

The file is in a read-only state (file may be in use by another application), Do you want to open a copy of it with a new name?

 

This seemed to occur with the last SP update of VWX 2024, and is also appearing in 2025.

 

Files open OK when copied to computer. Other users here experiencing the same.  This only happens with VectorWorks files. Our IT specialist says it is likely a VectorWorks issue rather than our network.

[zoomer]

To prevent that a File already opened is opened again at the same time

by another VW/or user, Apps like VW or Autocad ad a *.lck

Lock File beside the drawing file.

 

When you try to open such a file with a *.lck beside, VW will pop the "File already in use"

message.

 

When an open file gets closed again, the App deletes the Lock File and the

file is available to be opened again.

When an App crashes, it might miss to delete the Lock File.

 

If you press SHIFT+CMD+. (point)

Finder will switch between default do not show hidden files vs show hidden files.

So you can look for a potential File-Name.lck file and move or delete that file

to get able to open the drawing file again.

 

 

If there was no LCK file.

VW has another problem and I would restart it.

Or check about server or NAS problems (?)

[bjoerka]

It also might occur if you create a file on a local hard drive and copy this to a server drive.

If the permissions on the server are not set correctly, the file owner is the one who created this and the permissions for "everybody" are set to read only.

Set the permissions for "everybody" to read/write and i should work.

We had the same here a few days ago with a user who was not integrated in the domain registration.

[StefanoT]

@Phil21 we are experiencing the same issue since a recent update (VW2024 and macOS, both Sonoma and Sequoia) on all shared folders (Synology NAS via smb) on our network only with VW files. We believe it is not related to sharing/users permissions nor to .lck files (no .lck file is created before opening the file) and it occurs with any VW file. It seems macOS Finder "Show Preview" option is activating some kind of read-only status for VW files, and the workaround for us - suggested by  @zoomer in a different post - is to deactivate it (shortcut SHIFT * CMD + P) 

 

 

 

Edited October 10, 2024 by StefanoT

[StefanoT]

 

[HHFurr]

Thank you for sharing the workaround @StefanoT

 

SHIFT * CMD + P

Edited October 22, 2024 by HHFurr

[Pavlos]

We try all the above workaround and even more... until now with no lack.

 

Our problem started with the last update of VW 2024 (for Mac) and extend also to the VW 2025.