Forum Discussion
ERROR: Being used by another process
My files every now and they pop up with the error:
"the file XXXX' is being used by another process or you do not have the proper security permissions to access this resource"
Our IT Dept spent and hour last time trying to figure out how to open it and still that wasnt an ideal solution. Anyone know how to hard reset Storyline?
65 Replies
Hi all!
I ran into this situation with a customer and luckily we were able to solve the issue.
This is what worked:
- Find the project in File Explorer.
- Copy the project. Right-click and click "copy" in the dropdown.
- Go to your "Documents" folder and create a new folder.
- Paste the project into the new folder.
- Open Storyline, and open the project.
Keep me posted!
This does NOT fix the root problem. The original file is still not openable. All this does is create a copy of the original so you can work on it on your local machine. The problem with this approach is if you work on a network drive as I do with multiple people working on the same file, you run the risk of overwriting people's changes.
This problem is extremely frustrating and it has been going on for more than 2 years now. When will the folks at Articulate find a solution?
I've been running into this error frequently and it's just bothersome. What I now do when I get this is to simply copy the file to another location/folder and then open that one up...with no problem. Simple work around but I'd love to know what other process is using my Storyline file!
Hi James!
I understand the hassle! There are a few instances that initiate this error message.
Images or other elements open in other programs. For example, viewing an image in Paint, even in the background, will cause this issue because the software recognizes an instance of the image is in use. Also, I would check that all of the content items are on your hard drive, rather than accessing them from a USB drive, network, etc.
Oh, it's just a hassle now; I've been able to work around it without an issue. The thing is, it doesn't matter if I'm working from a network file or a local file. I still get the error message intermittently. Again, all I end up doing is closing SL360 and copying the file to another location, either on our server or on my desktop, and then open it...voila, no error message.
As for the file using objects that are opened in another application, tried that, doesn't matter. When it first happened, I closed everything (Illustrator, Photoshop, PPT) and then tried once more...same error message with the same file. It was then that I tried the "copy/move" option and found that it worked. So, it's not associated with another application using the assets in the SL360 file, nor where the SL360 file is stored or accessed from.
With all due respect Lauren, I wouldn't say that you solved the issue with your customer, you used a workaround. This issue continues to occur with us and creating loads of copies of our working files does not seem like a practical solution.
As for having elements open in other programs - I see no reason why this should have an effect. I do all my image work in Photoshop, save a png and import it into Storyline. How is that linked in any way?
Yes, since Storyline insists on importing/embedding everything instead of linking anything (one of the many reasons this app is a pain in the buttocks) this shouldn't be a problem.
Hi James and Trevor!
Trevor, I appreciate the feedback! In my customer's scenario, that was the solution since the project was being used by another employee on their server. The customer needed a copy of the project on their own local drive to continue authoring the course.
It sounds like you've come across a different scenario.
It would be best for our Support Engineers to dig deeper into the issue. Please use this link to start a case.
Hi,
Since a couple of weeks the problem above also occurs on my computer. The problem seems to occurs after publishing the module in Review 360. After making a copy of the document it works again but I made so many copies of one document i'm getting a bit frustrated..
Can you please advise?Hi Stephanie,
Sorry to hear you've been coming across this error for weeks now! I've opened a case on your behalf with our support engineers where you'll hear from someone on the team soon. They'll do everything they can to determine what's causing that error to come up.
Be on the lookout for a response!
I have also now been encountering this issue for the last week or so. I continually have to make a copy and rename the file. I originally had it on a network drive but have now moved it to my local drive and it is still happening. There are no other programs open when I am attempting to open the file. From the responses on this thread, it seems this is a common occurrence for people recently...
Greetings, April!
You took the right steps by copying the file over to a local drive, and I'm so sorry this error is still lingering!
Would you be willing to work with our Support Engineers, so we can pull a few system logs to help us determine the next troubleshooting steps? They'll do what they can to ensure this issue doesn't appear again!
I am encountering this error every time I open the project in Storyline. I'm wondering if the engineers have found any correlation with previewing the story. I am not 100% certain but the problem seems to occur after you preview the project. Has there been any progress in resolving? Thank you!
