Converting Older Frame Files to Frame 10: Cannot Lock File Error Message

[Harro de Jong]

You may have two problems:
1. file permissions in Windows
2. file set as read-only in FrameMaker. 
You've solved 1. 
for 2. the symptoms are missing menu items (you can't save or edit, and the only menus shown are File, Edit, Navigation, Window, Help). To unlock a file, type Esc Flk (note the uppercase F, lowercase L, lowercase K). 

Harro de Jong



todd.bersley at teradyne.com wrote:

I just received a batch of 200+ FrameMaker 4, 5.5, and 6 files that I need to get into Frame 10 and then convert into Word and PDF. However, when I try to open them in either Frame 7 or Frame 10, I get the following error message:
 "Cannot lock this file for your use. Your changes to it may conflict with the work of other users. File <file path name>".

When I click Continue the file opens, but I cannot edit it or use the Save As button, since it is not available.

I tried changing permissions on all the files, which appeared to be successful since they no longer indicate that they are read-only and the security settings have grey checkmarks indicating I have write permissions. After changing
 permissions, the error message no longer comes up, but I still can't edit the files and do not have access to the Save As command. But clearly, some setting in the old Frame file is prohibiting me from editing the file.  I can print a PDF file, and then use
 Acrobat to save it into a Word file, but this is a very roundabout way to get these files into Frame 10.