[GNC] longtime user suddenly unable to open gnucash

[sunfish62 at yahoo.com]

R,

Your instructions are thorough, but do not make clear that on Macs, GnuCash always opens the last file it had open--even if you double click a different GnuCash file in Finder. Or at least, that's always how it used to work. And if the file is corrupt, then OP will have a difficult time opening GnuCash up to find an earlier good file. That's why I suggested opening GnuCash without a file. 

Of course, by renaming the original file, you force GnuCash to open without the file it can no longer find, but it would be clearer to note that it will then be necessary to File->Open the backup. 

⁣David T. ​

On Aug 4, 2025, 11:20 PM, at 11:20 PM, R Losey <rlosey at gmail.com> wrote:
>I run GnuCash on my Mac as well; I have an M1 Mac running Sequoia 15.5
>-
>there was a discussion here about some people having problems with 15.6
>--
>what are you running?
>
>When GnuCash starts, it first looks for a .LCK file; if one exists, you
>get
>the error message; otherwise, GnuCash creates the .LCK file and opens
>your
>data file.  When you shut down GnuCash, it closes your data file, and
>deletes the .LCK.
>
>So, when GnuCash is running, there should always be a .LCK file. If
>GnuCash
>is shut down, there should be no .LCK file.
>
>If GnuCash crashes, it doesn't go through the normal exit process, and
>the
>.LCK file can stick around. The choice to "Open Anyway" is the right
>choice
>when you only and always use GnuCash from one computer. (I have my data
>files stored on a network storage device, and I can access it from
>multiple
>computers, so I have to make sure that if I get the error message that
>I
>really don't have it running elsewhere).
>
>From what you wrote, it sounds as if your data file has something in it
>that is causing a crash.  To verify this,
>1) Shut down GnuCash
>2) Delete the .LCK file
>3) Open GnuCash; you shouldn't get a warning, but Gnucash will probably
>go
>away (that is, "crash").
>
>This is almost certainly an issue with your data file. So...
>1) Delete the .LCK file
>2) Rename your existing data file to something - perhaps
>JAW.gnucash-CORRUPT and then create a copy of the most recent backup
>file
>and rename it to JAW.gnucash
>3) Open GnuCash - you should not get any warning; if GnuCash opens,
>you're
>good. If it crashes, delete the lock file, and try the next oldest
>backup
>file.  Repeat this until GnuCash opens without crashing. If you get to
>a
>file that you KNOW was good, then there is something else going on -
>the
>log files may be able to help you.
>
>Best wishes!
>
>
>On Mon, Aug 4, 2025 at 9:20 PM Jacob Wegelin <jacobwegelin at fastmail.fm>
>wrote:
>
>> I have been using gnucash for about 20 years on macos for personal
>> bookkeeping.
>> Suddenly today, it refuses to open with the following message:
>>
>>         GnuCash could not obtain the lock for
>> /Users/qg/u/Household/GnuCash/wip/JAW.gnucash (which is my file which
>it
>> also opens).
>>
>>         The database may be in use by another user, in which case you
>> should not open the database.  What would you like to do?
>>
>> When I clicked "open anyway," the application looked like it was
>loading
>> and then it went away---the application was not open.
>>
>> I tried deleting gnucash.LCK and it just made another one.
>>
>> I reinstalled gnucash, updated my macos and rebooted the computer.
>>
>> I changed the permissions on JAW.gnucash so it is readable and
>> writeable by everybody. Exactly the same message.
>>
>> I tried reinstalling it again after the macos reboot,
>> as follows:
>>
>> https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Installation
>>
>>
>https://sourceforge.net/projects/gnucash/files/gnucash%20%28stable%29/
>> click: download latest version Gnucash-Arm-5.12-1.dmg (184.3 MB)
>>
>> I made gnucash.LCK read,write,execute by everybody, but the same
>result.
>>
>> How do I get GnuCash working again? I use it every day.
>>
>> Thank you
>>
>> Jacob Wegelin
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>
>
>-- 
>_________________________________
>Richard Losey
>rlosey at gmail.com
>Micah 6:8
>_______________________________________________
>gnucash-user mailing list
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