We are routinely getting messages saying 'Access Denied' or 'file is being used by another user'.

We store all our files on a network server, and we open/modify/work in the files directly off the server. We have a top level assembly containing a large number of sub assemblies and parts. There are 2 designers using various files within this top level assembly.

These error messages sometimes just do not allow us to open the files (both from within the assembly itself and directly from windows explorer). Other times, solidworks immediately crashes when we attempt to open these parts or sub assemblies.

These errors tend to trickle down into parts and subassemblies farther down the line, ones that we have not directly opened (our assemblies/parts all load as lightweight). We sometimes end up with a large number of files we cannot access.

Sometimes, we can track down the user who was the last to save the file, and he can re-open it and re-save it, and this fixes the problem for the other user. Other times, neither of us can open the file. In this case we either have to copy/paste the affected file, rename it, and "replace" the affected part in the parent assembly (although sometimes solidworks just crashes when we attempt this). Another things that sometimes works is deleting the temporary file associated with the affected part or assembly, and this allows us to reopen it. However none of these consistently work for us.

Anyone have any solutions for this problem? Thanks!