[GNC] How to save Gnucash and Lock file issues

[Lorrie Laskey]

Hi Colin,

The "save" option did get focus once I made a change and saved the file.

However, the file name doesn't look right. See below. It is using the name
that I created when I used "save as" though I used "save" but the log file
name looks right. What is happening? Is this a problem?


   - finances.gnucash.20181202.gnucash
   - finances.gnucash.20181202.gnucash.20181202095503

Thanks,

On Sun, Dec 2, 2018 at 9:15 AM Colin Law <clanlaw at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Sun, 2 Dec 2018 at 17:11, Lorrie Laskey <lrlaskey at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > So I need to use "save" instead of "save as"? My "save" option is grayed
> out.
>
> It will be greyed out until you change something.  Once you change
> something then it should be enabled.  If not then that probably means
> you did a Save As and selected sqlite as the file type.  If that is
> the case then do Save As, select XML, browse to the folder where you
> want the file and click the OK, or Save button or whatever it is.
> Then close and re-open gnucash, it should re-open the xml file (you
> can see the file name in the top bar) and then the Save button should
> be back to normal.
>
> Colin
>
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > On Sun, Dec 2, 2018 at 8:53 AM Colin Law <clanlaw at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> On Sun, 2 Dec 2018 at 16:40, Lorrie Laskey <lrlaskey at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> >
> >> > Hi all,
> >> >
> >> > This message is for two topics. If you respond, please either select
> one
> >> > topic or divide the message by topic to make it easier for me to
> follow the
> >> > messages.
> >> >
> >> > #1 Saving
> >> > I don't understand how to save Gnucash or properly close it, it
> seems. I
> >> > have used Gnucash for years and used the "save" option.
> >> >
> >> > In the past, I selected "save" but recently ran into "lock file"
> issue.
> >>
> >> Save is the right way to do it.  That will save back into whichever
> >> file you have open.  Just the same as MS Word or other applications.
> >> If you use Save As then it will create a new file with the name you
> >> give it (or overwrite any existing file with that name. When you next
> >> open GC it will open *that* file not the original.  If you want to
> >> open a file other than the last one used then use File Open and browse
> >> to it.  While on this subject, I hope you are making a regular backup
> >> of your accounts file in case of computer failure.
> >>
> >> > Next I tried "save as" but then a pop up window appeared asking me to
> save
> >> > it as an xml file.
> >>
> >> For most users just using the default xml is the right way.  Don't
> >> worry about the other options.  If you needed them you would know what
> >> they mean.
> >>
> >> >
> >> > #2
> >> > Recent "lock file" issues forced me to troubleshoot and find other
> methods
> >> > to open and save. Note that I am the only person using Gnucash, on one
> >> > computer. So I don't understand how this file is being generated.
> >>
> >> If you get the Lock file warning when you open GC that means that GC
> >> probably did not close down properly the last time you used it.
> >> Either GC or Windows crashed for example, or you did a forced
> >> powerdown of the PC rather than a normal shutdown.  It is only a
> >> warning, you can just say Open Anyway, provided you have not already
> >> got the file open in another GnuCash instance or on another computer.
> >> If it happens regularly there is something wrong though.
> >>
> >> Colin
>