[GNC] longtime user suddenly unable to open gnucash

[pete hopkins]

What type of MAC do you have - is it running an ARM chip or an Intel chip as you have installed the ARM version.

I am  running v5.12 on MACos 15.5.  I run the ARM version as my MAC has an M1 chip.  I don’t see the problems you are reporting?

Pete

> On 5 Aug 2025, at 05:19, R Losey <rlosey at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> That's why I suggested shutting down GnuCash and then renaming the files
> before starting it.
> 
> 
> On Mon, Aug 4, 2025 at 10:38 PM sunfish62 at yahoo.com <sunfish62 at yahoo.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> 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, 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
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