[GNC] longtime user suddenly unable to open gnucash

[sunfish62 at yahoo.com]

Got it.

⁣David T. ​

On Aug 5, 2025, 12:19 AM, at 12:19 AM, 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