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Closed files reported as open files

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by patrick shaw

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The 'Open Files' browser in Computer Management, Shares, Open Files on our Win2k server is reporting that files are open when they aren't.

We use SIMS, a database management system that uses DBF files running on Win2k server.
Occastionally, I need to do maintenance tasks in SIMS with only me logged in. SIMS looks at open files on server to determine if I am the sole user and won't let me proceed.

The only fix I have at the moment is to reboot server which is far from ideal when I have 50+ users continuously accessing it!

Has anyone else come across this problem of misreported 'Open files' in Win2k server, or knows how to fix it?

5 replies

by mcclenbw

righ-click on Open Files and choose Disconnect All Open Files.

Note: Open Files shows files that are open by people accessing the server over the network. If you have 50+ users continuously accessing it, you will never be the sole user.

by patrick shaw

I disabled all users and personally ran round logging everybody out, and the server still thought that there were open files!

The problem with disconnecting all open files is that the server is used for tasks other than SIMS - such as word/excel files. There is no need to disconnect any files which are not related to SIMS. I find it incredible that the only choice we have to disconnect files is one at a time or all of them! (There are 300+ SIMS files). I'm convinced that there must be a better way that the server can verify if a file is actually open or not. (The server is mis-reporting open files).

by jfruits

I agree with the previous post, but before you do that, you want to take away the other users' permissions to the folder the DBFs are in. This way, when you disconnect the open files, they cannot reconnect quickly before you start the maintenance. Just remember to give them access again when you are done!

Good luck!

by patrick shaw

This is a better solution but the server is still mis-reporting open files! At the moment, my best solution as recommended by my support company, is to disable users then reboot the server. This definitely clears all open files! Far from ideal but it's the best I've got so far.

Ah... I remember the days of Novell - never had these problems back then!

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