Publish error file "is currently open in another program"

[brielindquist]

I have a user who publishes files to a network folder. He is able to publish the pdf file once. But if he needs to do it again and overwrite the one that's already there, it gives him the error that the file is currently open in another program. We know it is not open because I am able to rename the file through windows. The user has proper permissions to the folder because he is able to manually delete the file through windows, and then publish it again. When he publishes it to his desktop, and then publishes it again, it will work (giving the normal "are you sure" type of message). He has logged off of windows and logged back on in between publishing attempts to make sure it is not open. He has also rebooted his PC. So it appears that the windows security is OK since he is able to delete the file manually, and it's not actually in use either. Why won't AutoCAD allow him to publish over it?

[brielindquist]

I forgot to mention we're on version 2014.

[pendean]

Is background publishing turned on?
Or worse do you have the PDF driver set to open the file after creation? Both are the default setting.

[brielindquist · Accepted solution]

I tracked down what the problem was. I was working on cleaning up security access to the windows shares on the server. I had it set so that Domain Users had change access instead of full. I'm not sure why, but it seems that AutoCAD requires that the user have full access to the windows share. The difference between change access and full access has to do with writing permissions to the file. I'm not sure why AutoCAD needs that since files in that folder are set to inherit permissions. But as soon as I changed that setup, the user was able to publish and overwrite an existing file. What's especially strange is that the user was able to initially publish the file to that folder without having full access. So the higher permission level is only needed when overwriting an existing file. Seems like something the AutoCAD developers should look into.

[pendean]

Thanks for the follow up: typically software creators don't like to design software to circumvent network rights access so that will most likely never happen from Autodesk or anyone else. Think about it: what's to stop any software vendor from giving more control on a network than you, the network admin, determines for the users? Once it starts, you assume they will know when to stop when in fact that's yours to decide.

[brielindquist]

I'm sorry, maybe I wasn't being clear. If the user just overwrote the file using Explorer, he had no problem doing so with the lower permission level in place. So I'm not sure what AutoCAD is doing special to need more access to overwrite the file. That's the part I think the developers should look at. Either way, thanks for your response. It's good to know I can come to these forums and get help quickly!

[jeremie.belmonte]

Hi,

can you explain what did you changed step by step ?

Where i have to go and what to change in windows 10 please ?

[brielindquist]

The folder the user was trying to publish to was on the server.  So I had to change the Share permissions on the server, not the client.  The server is Windows 2012.  I right clicked on the folder and went into Properties.  I selected the Sharing tab, and clicked on the Advanced Sharing button.  I then clicked on the Permissions button.  I selected the security group the user was a member of and checked the Allow box next to Full Control.

[ted_kovacs]

Sorry, but this issue is in no way "solved" as the thread indicates.  The purported solution is not a solution at all, but rather a workaround, and one that we cannot accept or implement.

We are having the same issue, and I can confirm that what brielindquist said is also the case for us currently with AutoCAD 2017.  I really don't see how this can be anything except a bug in AutoCAD.

 On our network, end users are never given the "Full Control" permission.  They have every permissions except the ability to "change permissions" and to "take ownership".  They have no need for these permissions, and we have no interest in granting those permissions to workaround (not fix) this issue. No other program has a problem overwriting files with without these permissions, so the issue is with AutoCAD. The workaround we choose to use is to have users publish to PDF rather than export to PDF. 

Autodesk -- There is more than enough information in this thread to easily reproduce the problem, so please fix it. 

[Michiel.Valcke]

I agree with @ted_kovacs

This does not resolve the issue. After trying to resolve the same issue (2017) in the way described above, we have come to the conclusion that the issue still persists.

Even if it was working it is nothing more than a workaround.

What is the best way to get this on a to do list? 

[priya.sofitech]

Well I have encountered the same file is open in another program error in my Access database. I was actually get annoyed with this error because I haven't opened the application anywhere or in any program.  When I researched a lot about this issue I got this helpful post and finally I have overcome this issue.

You can also check out the link from which i have got idea to resolve this file is open in another program error.😎