[GNC] Gnucash not obtaining lock Solved

[Mike or Penny Novack]

On 9/13/2019 1:50 PM, Bob Hammons wrote:
> The trouble was Windows Defender in a recent update blocked Gnucash,  Quicken and Open Office data directories.
> This was in the Ransom ware section
> Here is a website that explains how to fix this
> ..........
> Wasn't very nice of MS to do this without any notice that these programs would be blocked
> Thanks again for you help I did learn a little more about Windows but something new will pop up I am sure.
  That does not seem to me to be much of an explanation. I don't know 
about Quicken, but with either OpenOffice (I use LibreOffice) or Gnucash 
the "data directories" (the directory in which the data lives AND where 
the lock file will be created) is up to you. Certainly MS didn't block 
"Documents" (the parent directory where LibreOffice documents likely 
placed).

If, what you are referring to are default locations which these 
applications might use IF you failed to specify where your documents 
were to be put that's another matter. I'm not at all sure I would be so 
critical of MS in that case. It is a really bad idea for people to allow 
applications to simply place data wherever so you don't KNOW the 
location. For example, if you don;t know the location, how do you know 
what directories you want copied to your backup device (you DO make 
periodic backups, right?).

Thus, if I Know that ALL such data would be in the "Documents" tree 
(organized by sub directories so you can find things) then you know your 
backup procedure would want to copy "Documents" (and everything in it) 
when making  a backup. In which case you don't need to think of separate 
backup for each application.

When you create a new set of books in gnucash (a new file) the FIRST 
action you should take after opening it should be a "save as" to the 
desired location << say in a directory under documents named "Gucash 
Books" --although there I would have a directory for each set of books 
since I keep several -- that makes it easier to clean out old 
log/session backups for a particular set of books since those, and the 
lock file, will be in the directory where the file is >>

Michael D Novack
PS ---- when some of us say "directory" that is not different from what 
you know of as a "file folder". We just learned before  it was graphical.

Michael D Novack