How to determine if a file is/is not in use on LAN

Keywords: 	 network file in use

---

Question:

I've written a login script using Winbatch. I need to update it occasionally. I'm having trouble replacing it, because it's being used & the LAN (NT 4) won't let me overwrite it while it's in use. OK, I understand that. I end up waiting until REAL late to copy the file out to the LAN. Problem is that I'm finding that folks are staying later & later.

What I'm looking for is a way to determine IF the file is in use & When it's NOT in use copy the new one over it. That way I can start a winbatch prog & go home & it'll copy the file out, log the time (so I'll know it got done) & then log the PC off & shut down.

I can do ALL that EXCEPT tell if the file is in use.

I've tried "AppExist" , "FileSize", "wntFileClose", & looked around on the Web board & tech support & tried everything I found with no luck.

Answer:

1. When we ran into this problem, we ended up using two programs. The first program looks at an INI to tell it where the second program is. Then it calls the second program. To update the program, use a new name and update the INI, which is much easier. Remove the old one next week, if you ever remember to.

   This first program can be generic and used by all network programs as well!

   Hopefully you don't need to update the first program very often...

2. You also could use wntFileUsers to see which users are accessing the file.

   ;* Determine if this is Windows 95 or Windows NT
   
   If WinMetrics(-4) == 4
   Windows = "NT"
   Endif
   If WinMetrics(-4) == 5
   Windows = "95"
   Endif
   
   If Windows == "NT"
   AddExtender ("WWWWNT34I.dll")
   Else
   Message("Error","You must be on an NT workstation to execute this command")
   exit
   Endif
   
   Filetocheck="q:\q drive\mis\database\global.mdb"
   GoSub CheckFile
   
   exit
   
   :CheckFile
   
   users=wntFileUsers( "\\MSO",filetocheck)
   
   totusers = ItemCount(users, @TAB)
   
   cnt = 0
   while cnt < totusers
   cnt = cnt + 1
   if cnt <= totusers
   ; ...do something with the information
   newline=ItemExtract(cnt,users,@tab)
   display(1,"user accessing file",newline)
   Endif
   EndWhile
   
   return 
   

---

Article ID:   W14265

Filename:   How to determine if a file is in use on LAN.txt