Issues with Saving

Apr 22, 2016

Hi all

I'm at a loss with what's going on with the software.  I get an error window that says: "The process cannot access the file 'C:\<name of file>.story' because it is being used by another process." - -even when all other windows are closed.

So I 'Save As' to create a new file, but it keeps creating double copies.  I lost an entire day's work yesterday when it 'appeared' to be saving, but only when I closed out, did I realize it saved nothing from the day (it didn't give me any warnings or errors).  Sorry, I know this might sound confusing, but I'm just frustrated.

10 Replies
Leslie McKerchie

Hi Darlene!

We had some previous issues with saving, but they were corrected in an update. Be sure that you are utilizing the latest update to Storyline 2, which is Update 7.

You may still have a copy of your file.

Here's how to check:
 
1) Open this folder in Windows Explorer:
 
%appdata%\Articulate\Storyline
 
2) Scan the contents of this folder for a file that starts with the name of your project. If you find one, copy it to your desktop. If you find more than one, copy the latest version to your desktop.
 
3) Change the file extension of the copy on your desktop from *.tmp to *.story.
 
4) Double-click the file to open it in Storyline.
 
Also, be sure to always create, edit, and publish projects on your local hard drive. Working from a network drive or a USB drive can cause erratic behavior due to latency, such as file corruption, an inability to save changes, and loss of resources. See this article for details.
Catherine Sanchez

Hello Leslie,

I'm having the same issue that Darlene had: I get an error window that says: "The process cannot access the file 'C:\<name of file>.story' because it is being used by another process.", but right now I'm working with the latest version (Update 10). Please see attachments.

Can you help me with this situation? It had been happening a lot and I can not save my work.

Leslie McKerchie

Hi Catherine!

As you can see here, I did not hear back from Darlene on this issue. You mention that it's been happening a lot - does that mean with various files or a particular file?

If a particular file, I would recommend importing into a new file to see if this alleviates your issue.

If various files, you may need to conduct a repair of the software in case something went awry during your update.

Maria Costa-Stienstra

Hi, Leah.

Thank you for opening a support case! I see you're working with my teammate Renato, who gave you a few suggestions:

  • Make sure you are working from a local hard drive, as network drives can cause erratic behavior. 
  • Follow the steps here to install a fresh copy of Storyline 360. 

Please reach out to Renato through the case if you have questions on these steps. 

Lia Lee

Same!

This issue just started for me this past week. I am constantly throwing away unnecessary versions of my Storyline and trying to keep the up to date files straight. I am using VM Ware Fusion and a virtual Win 10 machine. I save my work frequently because VMs (and Articulate- sorry!) can crash/freeze unexpectedly.

Due to this issue, I am now on version 24 of my project. This should give you an idea of how persistent the problem is. 

Becca Levan

I'm sorry for this trouble, Lia! I appreciate you sharing the details of what you're experiencing.

From here, I'd like one of our support engineers to step in to help troubleshoot, so I've opened a support case on your behalf. Could I have you share your file using the private upload link I just emailed to you? As soon as we hear from you, we'll reach out with the next step!

Joseph Francis

Maria Costa-Stienstra identified an important point which may have been missed, but must be remembered when developing Storyline files:

Always save and publish Storyline projects on your local hard drive (typically your C: drive). Working on a network drive or an external USB drive can cause erratic behavior due to latency, for example, file corruption or preventing you from saving changes.

Full text here: Storyline: Create, Edit, and Publish Courses on Your Local Hard Drive

Additionally: Using Articulate Software on a Mac with VMware Fusion