How to deal with file locking in CADSTAR.

When working on a network where others may have access to your designs it is commonplace to be able to lock the design files and libraries that you are working on to prevent anybody else saving over your work.

CADSTAR manages this by placing a lock file of the same name as the design file in the same folder with a tilde (~) in front of it, this file is a hidden\system file.

I.e. for mypcb.scm it would be called ~mypcb.scm

When you close the design CADSTAR will delete the lock file so that someone else can open it for writing.

However, if CADSTAR cannot delete the file because it has had an abnormal  closure (a crash to you and me) then there are 3 ways to defeat this.
First, turn off file locking - not really a good way of managing it as it defeats the object of file locking.

Second, use Windows Explorer with the ability to view hidden and system files enabled, to browse for and delete the lock file. This too is not the most elegant way of managing it.

Saving the last for the best, it is very simple to manage from within CADSTAR itself with a few simple steps.

So when you open CADSTAR and try to open a file and get a popup saying it is locked (possibly to you too!) just cancel the opening.

• Select File\Options.
• Deselect "File Locking".
• Open the file.
• Select File\Options.
• Select "File Locking".
• Close the file.

 This will delete the lock file and allow you to open the design file again and continue to use file locking.