I'm sure I've seen this thread before on these forums, but can't seem to locate it now when I need some help.

I've got a file hosted on a Windows 2000 server and 7 clients accessing the file. No problems like this for the last year of hosting. But, today one of my clients locked the file. He gets an error that says:

"The maximum number of licensed users are currently using this copy of FileMaker Pro. Please refer to the license key section of your software documentation for further instructions. License key conflict occurred with user "xxx ####”. All files will be closed and application will quit."

That copy of the software is not being used anywhere else, so the error isn't right. It seems that the Server is seeing that computer as still accessing the file even though he's rebooted his computer. This looks to me like a "file locked" error.

How can I unlock the file? Am I correct in my diagnosis?

Thanks a bunch.

- Michael

First try and see if that user is still considered connected in the FMS Admin console. If they are still not there then stop serving the files and then restart FMS.

License key conflict occurred with user "xxx ####”.

User XXX being himself, or some other user? Makes a big diffrence in diagnosing this.

Steven

XXX user is him.

And, I don't have direct access to the FMS b/c of the way I've been forced to set up this system. The MIS (Management Info System) director is controlling access to the server at this point.

This type error can occur when there is some sort of incorrect disconnection between the FMP user and the server. And it only occurs if you [color:red]are not using a volume license install.

Also, I would not rule out that the same install code used for user XXX was also used somewhere else. You really do have to confirm that.

Try closing all files, stopping the service/daemon, and then rebooting the server.

Steven

I have new information on this problem. I had the same user log in through a different version of FileMaker. He had been using FileMaker Pro Advanced 8.5. Also installed on his system was a copy of FileMaker Pro 8.5. He logged in using that version of the software and was able to access the file and all the records except one. When he went to access one specific record it said "User XXX-#### (his login through 8.5 Advanced) is editing this file. You cannot edit this record until that user is done with it." I'm paraphrasing the error a bit.

So, I'm diagnosing that something happened across the network when he was previously editing that record and it locked him into some strange entanglement with the FMS that can only be overcome by disconnecting all users and rebooting the FMS.

My MIS manager is back tomorrow, so I'll get him to check into it. I was SO hoping to fix this problem from the client side. But, it doesn't look good.

Well a user can self lock a record very easily if there is more than one open window.

Steven

How can one self-lock a record "very easily"?

How can one self-lock a record "very easily"?

As I said, by having more than one window open, and then by having the same record in both windows. Editing the record in one window will lock it. When you try to access it in a different window, you will be unable to do so.

Steven

I have the same problem due to power shut down. We have a power outage twice daily. Some of our computers have no UPS protection. Whenever one of those, is working on a record during the outage, that record is permanently locked and anyone who tries to access that record later on, receives a locked record message. When that same user logs in again, he is added as an additional user in FMS.

Since we have volume license, the number of users keeps increasing until they reach maximum and then we get an error message.

To fix it, we close the files on FMS to disconnect the phantom users then reopen.

We will be installing UPS on all systems soon.