🚀 go-pugleaf

Strange. I can assure you that for the vast majority of users, this doesn't happen.

If IC or ID says a story can't be checked out because it's already in use, then that means for some reason an .idlk (lock file) didn't get deleted from the server when the story was checked back in by the previous user. The lock files get created and deleted silently by ID and IC behind the scenes (in the same folder as the InCopy stories-- the incx files -- themselves), and their presence/absence is what ID/IC check to let you know if a story is available or in use.

So if a user doesn't have the correct read/write permissions for a particular folder on a server, then he'll have trouble trying to check out a story to edit it (because his system is not allowed to write to the server folder -- to create the .idlk file) or he won't be able to truly check a story back in (because his system isn't allowed to delete files from the server folder -- to delete the .idlk file).

Barring user error, this is why whenever people report problems regarding IC/ID not letting them check stories in/out, I normally suggest they check with their IT department and make sure the all the user's permissions are set correctly.

I've seen it happen that most people's systems are okay but IT forgot to turn a switch or click a checkbox for one or two other users in the department.

AM