The Qbox File Lock is a software concept that ensures only one user who, with the lock, can make changes to a file, then close the file to initiate a sync and release the lock. This is what shares the changes made to the file. Users without the File Lock can view the file, but any changes they make will not be synced. This simple-to-use mechanism helps protect the changes made by a shared user and avoid creating conflicted copies of data files.

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How can I lock a file?

To lock a file, open the file in the Qbox Explorer by double-clicking on it. This will launch the application and open the file. If the lock mode is set to ‘Manual’, Qbox will display a prompt asking you to lock the file. Select ‘Yes’ on the prompt to lock the file before you start working on it. If the lock is not available, Qbox will display a prompt stating that the lock is not available. Take note that in this case, you should not make any changes to the file. Any work done will not be synced and will be lost. If the lock mode is set to ‘Auto’, Qbox will automatically lock the file for you, given that no other user has already locked it.

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When is the file lock released?

The file lock will be released automatically after Qbox syncs up the changes made to the file by the user. It is possible to release the file lock manually even before the file syncs, but this should be done only to recover from situations like a computer crash, as the changes made by the user will not sync and will be lost.

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Can the file be locked automatically?

Yes, in the Qbox Explorer, go to Settings, Lock Mode, and select Auto. In Auto Lock mode, the file will be locked automatically when opened if no other user has already locked it.

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I opened the file inside Qbox but did not get the prompt for a lock?

Check to make sure that your Qbox is running and you have the Qbox icon on your Windows task bar. If you are not sure, please try restarting Qbox by right-clicking on the small Qbox icon on the System Tray, and selecting ‘Restart Qbox’.

Another reason could be that the account owner has marked you ‘Read Only’ for the folder shared with you. Please check to make sure that the R/O column on the Qbox explorer is not checked. Qbox will not lock the file if you have been given Read-Only access.

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Can I make changes without acquiring the lock?

Please do not work on the file if it is not locked for you. Changes you make without a lock can be lost if another user with a file lock syncs changes. If you keep the file open without locking it, Qbox will display a warning message every three minutes to remind you that you don’t have the lock.

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Can I lock a file without opening the application?

Yes, first set the Qbox sync mode to manual: go to Settings, Sync Mode, and select Manual. Right-click on the file you want to lock, and select ‘Lock File’. The file will be locked for you if no other user has locked it.

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Can I release a file lock manually?

Qbox account owners, team members with admin permissions, and the user who locked a file can release the lock manually to recover from a lockout situation. To release a lock, log into your account at the Qbox website (www.qboxplus.com), locate the file, and click the lock icon. The lock will be released after you confirm. Please note that any changes made to the file by the user who locked the file will be lost.

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Can I release the lock without syncing the changes I made?

Yes, first enable advanced commands: on the Qbox Explorer Settings, Advanced column, un-check the ‘Hide adv commands’ box. Next, right-click on the file that you want to unlock and select ‘Release Lock’. After you confirm, Qbox will release the lock and restore the file to the latest synced version from the Qbox cloud server.

We recommend that you keep the Hide adv commands box ‘checked’ for normal use, to avoid releasing the lock inadvertently resulting in data loss.

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Can I restore a file to the last synced version?

If you did not lock the file and made some changes that you don’t need, you can restore it to the last synced version. To restore, first enable advanced commands: on the Qbox Explorer Settings, Advanced column, un-check the ‘Hide adv commands’ box. Then right-click on the file and select ‘Restore’. Qbox will restore the file to the last synced version.

We recommend that you keep the Hide adv commands box ‘checked’ for normal use to avoid restoring the file inadvertently, resulting in data loss.

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Prompt for lock keeps appearing even when I am not in the QuickBooks file. What can I do?

If you are getting spurious prompts to lock the file, it could be because a process running in the background is trying to open a file in Qbox. Using the Windows Task Manager (ctrl+alt+delete), you can check if the suspect application is running and end the process that could be causing this issue. You can also try restarting your computer, which would end all processes, and should resolve the issue.

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How do I set Lock mode to Manual or Auto?

On the Qbox Client/Explorer, go to ‘Settings’ and find the ‘Lock Mode’ column; select the mode desired. In Auto Lock mode, the file will be locked automatically when opened if no other user has already locked it. If the lock mode is set to ‘Manual’, Qbox will display a prompt asking you to lock the file.

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What can I do if I have made changes without the file lock?

First, please make a backup of your data file, as a precaution to safeguard against any data loss.
If no other user has locked the file, you can simply close the file, wait about 30 seconds, open it again, acquire the lock and continue with making changes.
If another user has locked the file but has not synced the file, you can release the file lock manually at the Qbox Plus Web Dashboard. You can then close your file, wait about 30 seconds, open it again, acquire the file lock and continue making changes. In this situation, the other user will lose the changes made to the file.
If the other user who locked the file has already synced, the file will sync down to your Qbox. In this situation, Qbox will make a copy of the file into the ‘Qbox Recovery’ folder before syncing down and over-writing your file. You can recover the file from the Qbox Recovery folder. Please note that this recovery mechanism will work only if the ‘Enable recovery’ option under Settings/Advanced is enabled. Qbox will make up to two copies when the file needs to be recovered. These are named copy 1 and copy 2. It is also ‘single level’, meaning Qbox will overwrite the file in the Recovery folder if the file needs to be recovered once again. You can replace the file in the Qbox Explorer with either one of these files after renaming it back to the original name.

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