[GNC] problem obtaining lock

[David Carlson]

Another point:  If there were any unsaved edits in the database file when
the computer was rebooted, they were lost unless you remembered that and
recovered them.  I never walk away from my computer with the file open
unless I have checked to confirm that there is no asterisk in the filename
address bar indicating a "dirty" file.

On Wed, Aug 12, 2026 at 11:13 AM David T. via gnucash-user <
gnucash-user at gnucash.org> wrote:

> Your best bet is to put it into its own folder in your Documents:
> \Users\Admin\Documents\GnuCash
>
> Just move the data file there and double click it to open it from
> Explorer. [Others will tell you to use GnuCash to File->Save As into the
> new folder, which moves the file and allows GnuCash to know where the file
> has gone. Potato, po-tah-to.]
>
> David T.
>
> On August 12, 2026 9:20:05 PM GMT+05:30, Marty Landman <martster at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >I'm not sure how it ended up there, what is the suggested location and
> how do I change it?
> >
> >On 8/12/2026 11:49 AM, David T. wrote:
> >> On a side question: why are you putting your GnuCash data file in the
> (hidden) system folder AppData? I'm not sure that's advised...
> >>
> >>
> >> On August 12, 2026 8:32:21 PM GMT+05:30, Robert Heller <
> heller at deepsoft.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>     To expand on Wm Tarr's response, GnuCash create a "lock" file when
> >>     it opens your books (at startup) and will delete the lock file
> >>     when it closes your books (or when you exit). You should always
> >>     cleanly exit from GnuCash before you logout, shutdown, or reboot
> >>     your computer. At Wed, 12 Aug 2026 09:55:25 -0400 Marty Landman
> >>     <martster at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>         My wife and I have been using Gnucash for a few years now for
> >>         our small business, and the one problem that keeps happening
> >>         is after my Windows 11 Home edition updates and I have to
> >>         restart Gnucash I get the following message: Gnucash could not
> >>         obtain the lock for C:
> >>         \Users\Admin\AppData\Local\GnuCash.gnucash That database may
> >>         be in use by another user, in which case you should not open
> >>         the database. What would you like to do? I select 'open
> >>         anyway', then open, close, and then reopen it and the error
> >>         goes away.���� ����What is going on? How can I prevent this
> >>         error from happening in the first place? Marty
> >>
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> >>     -- Robert Heller -- Cell: 413-658-7953 GV: 978-633-5364 Deepwoods
> >>     Software -- Custom Software Services http://www.deepsoft.com/ --
> >>     Linux Administration Services heller at deepsoft.com -- Webhosting
> >>     Services
> >>
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-- 
David Carlson