File locked by user 1

[spickett]

Can anyone tell me if there is a method on a Win2000 server, of releasing a file that is locked by a user. This needs to be done in an unattended process as part of our nightly processing. The situation is this: We have a group of Access files that need to be renamed as part of a nightly batch process. Occassionally some user will leave the office for the day without closing out of the file. This leave the file locked so it cannot be renamed and the process fails.
On our Novell server we used to use a program called Whohas to free the file. I'm not seeing any such utility for Win2000.
Any help greatly appreciated.

 

[fuunstatic]

what backup software r u using as you have to pay extra for modules to backup open files

Another option may be to configure pcs to be automatically logged out at midnight thereby releasing the file "Work to live, don't live to work"

"The problem with troubleshooting is that sometimes it shoots back"

 

[spickett]

Wow!
Amazingly quick response.
We are using ArcserveIT, and it does backup these open files. The problem with automatically logging users out is that this particular process takes place at about 7:30pm. We still have a large number of users legitimately logged in at this time, so I need my effort to be a little more narrowly directed at the particular files, or the folders that contain the files.

 

[fuunstatic]

there is an option in arcserve to keep re-trying to backup a locked file and there is some arcserve notes on their website about this also

my other solution would be to configure a 2nd backup job to backup only these access files at say 2am and ensure users are kicked off by 1:50am
"Work to live, don't live to work"

"The problem with troubleshooting is that sometimes it shoots back"

 

[spickett]

I may have misstated my problem.
It's not with the backup. The files get backed up with no problem.
We have an unrelated batch process that runs and attempts to rename the Access files, (e.g. ren Test.mdb Test.old). When some user has the file open, it cannot be renamed, and the entire batch process hangs.
That is why I need to kick people out of the files.

 

[fuunstatic]

ok why not still configure user accounts to be logged off at a certain time early in the morning and then schedule the batch file to run soon after "Work to live, don't live to work"

"The problem with troubleshooting is that sometimes it shoots back"

 

[spickett]

It's all about timing. Most of this processing is associated with our ERP system. We walk a fine line between starting the processing as late as possible, to allow people to work into the evening, and still finishing the processing and backups before the troops arrive in the morning.
This seems like it should be a simple thing. Like I said, in Netware there was a commonly used utility, (Whohas) that allowed you to easily see who had a file open on the server, and to detach them from that file is necessary. It could also be used in a batch file to work unattended. Unfortunately, that utility doesn't work in Win2000, and I am a little too ignorant of Win2000 to know how to do it alternatively. Perhaps some net use command or something that I am just not aware of.

 

[fuunstatic]

ok i see now

what you need is the following
admin tools
computer management
system tools
drill down to shared folders from here you can see 3 sub folders one of which is "open files"

from here you can disconnect users from any open file manually

to do this via a script, net file and net session may be the next step you are looking for "Work to live, don't live to work"

"The problem with troubleshooting is that sometimes it shoots back"