"File is locked by another user" when you access a file on a network share

Technical Articles ID: KB91553
Last Modified: 12/23/2021

Environment

McAfee File and Removable Media Protection (FRP) 5.x

Problem

When you try to open a Microsoft Excel file from a network share, the system returns the following error:

File is locked by another user

The following conditions apply in this situation:

Two users are trying to open an FRP encrypted file from a network share.
Both users (User A and User B) have FRP installed on their computers.
User A has highlighted the file several times on the share. User only selects the file but does not open it.
User B tries to open the file from another computer. Excel returns that the "File is locked by another user".

Cause

You can see the issue with any program that opens an encrypted file on a network share and which is then memory mapped.

The issue occurs because FRP has a Virtual File System (VFS) that is not closing the file after actual file closure. This behavior is a result of the way FRP integrates with the operating system memory manager.

Solution

Take one of the following actions:

The lock state is automatically restored, and does not generate the error. The time taken for the lock to be released varies between 15 minutes and 24 hours. This time depends on the demand for virtual memory.
Restarting the system releases the lock on the file.

Affected Products

File and Removable Media Protection 5.4.x
File and Removable Media Protection 5.3.x
File and Removable Media Protection 5.2.x
File and Removable Media Protection 5.1.x
File and Removable Media Protection 5.0.x (EOL)
Known Issue/Product Defect

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Knowledge Center

"File is locked by another user" when you access a file on a network share

Environment

Problem

Cause

Solution

Affected Products

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Knowledge Center

"File is locked by another user" when you access a file on a network share

Environment

Problem

Cause

Solution

Affected Products

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