Working Copy Locked

Question

I'm developing a web using subversion as version control, but got "working directory locked" error message

Here's the story:

I have

PC-A:

Windows XP Pro
VisualSVN 2.5.2
Tortoise SVN 1.7.3

PC-B:

Windows XP Home
Tortoise SVN 1.7.3

I have create repository on PC-A using VisualSVN.

From PC-B, I Checkout http:\\PC-A:81\svn\test\trunk to D:\xampp\htdocs\test-lalala.

From PC-A, I also checkout http:\\PC-A:81\svn\test\trunk to D:\xampp\htdocs\test-lalala.

I Create a post-commit hooks running my-post-commit.bat file so when I commit to http:\\PC-A:81\svn\test\trunk, folder D:\xampp\htdocs\test-lalalaon PC-A will updated, so other people can see the result.

"C:\Program Files\VisualSVN Server\bin\svn.exe" update "D:\xampp\htdocs\test-lalala" --username myusername --password mypassword --config-dir "C:\Program Files\VisualSVN Server\conf"

On PC-B, Create index.php file, and commit. When I commit, I get this error message

error message

On PC-A, I try to right-click on D:\xampp\htdocs\test-lalala TortoiseSVN > CleanUp, and check "cleanup working copy status" and "Include externals" (checked by default). Try to add file and commit, but still got the same error message.

I try to look for lock file on .svn folder but there are no lock file. I also try to delete working copy on PC-A D:\xampp\htdocs\test-lalala and checkout again, but when I commit, still got the same error message.

How to solve this error message? So when I commit, the folder will updated automatically ?

Jonathon J Howey's answer worked for me. I had to do one more thing, that is close my visual studio before clean up. — saquib adil, May 10 '17 at 19:00

score 197 · Answer 1 · edited Feb 27 '15 at 06:53

197

Every time I get a Working copy locked error I run a "Clean up". After that everything is back to normal.

On the command line you can execute svn cleanup which also removes lock files.

Note: Perform this operation on one level up directory and that should resolve most of the times.

edited Feb 27 '15 at 06:53

divinedragon

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answered Jul 25 '12 at 20:23

tatianes

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worked for me when i cleaned up one directory level up from locked location – waqaslam Jan 03 '13 at 12:14
It is working on Ubuntu, I have Ubuntu on Client and Linux on server and it works. Actually this problem happens to me on Linux more often than it was on Windows. – Yevgeniy Afanasyev Jun 10 '15 at 01:20
5

Do not forget to check on "Break locks" check box if using GUI. – Manish Dubey Oct 09 '17 at 07:42

score 36 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 04 '13 at 20:54

36

To anyone still having this issue (Error: Working copy '{DIR}' locked.), I have your solution:

I found that when one of TortoiseSVN windows crash, it leaves a TSVNCache.exe that still has a few handles to your working copy and that is causing the Lock issues you are seeing (and also prevents Clean Up from doing it's job).

So to resolve this:

Either

1a) Use Process Explorer or similar to delete the handles owned by TSVNCache.exe

1b) ..Or even easier, just use Task Manager to kill TSVNCache.exe

Then

2) Right click -> TortoiseSVN -> Clean up. Only "Clean up working copy status" needs to be checked.

From there, happy updating/committing. You can reproduce Lock behavior by doing SVN Update and then quickly killing it's TortoiseProc.exe process before Update finishes.

answered Mar 04 '13 at 20:54

Jonathon J Howey

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Just running clean-up worked for me but this was after logging off and on again so may have killed the process that way. – Nigel B Apr 10 '13 at 09:25
I had Visual Studio running with AnkhSVN and had to close that also before cleanup would work. – xenoclast Jun 28 '13 at 10:27
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After a lot of searching i finally found this. This should be more visible as it's the only thing that worked for me! – JohanLejdung Jul 01 '13 at 09:22

score 22 · Answer 3 · answered Apr 18 '13 at 17:03

22

Run a "Clean up" at the top directory level.

answered Apr 18 '13 at 17:03

Prince

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"working directory locked" error may arise due to there is a lock by svn client at the time of folder/file ADD and not properly commit and it may be fix by cleanup. – Prince Apr 18 '13 at 17:07
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I got the same error when i didn't run cleanup in the top directory level – Vincent Nov 05 '13 at 07:49
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+1 for *“at the top directory level”*. Nobody else mentiones it and it seems to be important. – Melebius Jan 30 '14 at 17:05

score 11 · Answer 4 · answered Feb 27 '15 at 20:04

11

I solved it by deleting WC_Lock record in the SQLite ".svn\wc.db" file lock record in the WC_LOCK table.

Just open "wc.db" file with SQLite editor and executed

delete from WC_LOCK

The solution was given in another link that I cannot find right now. But really quite a fix; without worrying about deleting all directories

answered Feb 27 '15 at 20:04

sgupta

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Is DB Browser for SQL Lite the same as SQLLite editor? – Mar 15 '18 at 16:49
Yes, it should be. For me, I just normally use Firefox extension to edit DB – sgupta Jun 06 '18 at 22:33

score 7 · Answer 5 · edited Oct 28 '12 at 11:37

7

I fixed it by deleting the hidden .svn folder and replaced it with the fresh checkout .svn and it worked. Probably this hidden folder got messed up!

edited Oct 28 '12 at 11:37

Alexis Pigeon

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answered Mar 22 '12 at 23:07

hackintosh152

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score 5 · Answer 6 · answered Jul 23 '14 at 04:34

5

I am sure It working fine for you

Goto top level SVN folder.

Right Click on folder(that has your svn files) -> TortoiseSVN -> CleanUp

This will surely solve your problem.

answered Jul 23 '14 at 04:34

Sadikhasan

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score 3 · Answer 7 · answered Jan 10 '14 at 15:49

3

If you are Windows guy and using "Tortoise SVN' user.

Select the File. Right Click. Option 'Tortoise SVN' --> get Lock. Use option 'Steal The Lock'.

answered Jan 10 '14 at 15:49

Shirish

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score 3 · Answer 8 · answered Apr 13 '18 at 10:17

3

You can fix it with only one step.

Step 1 : Open terminal and go to your project then fire command "svn cleanup" then "svn update"

answered Apr 13 '18 at 10:17

Hardik Savani

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those are two steps ;P ... or even three – D Ie Aug 21 '18 at 14:09

score 1 · Answer 9 · answered Jul 11 '13 at 07:06

error "working copy locked", Just follow the steps :

In which directory you are getting error on update
Go to its parent directory
In parent directory go to ".svn" hidden directory
Remove file with name "lock"
Clean up and Done

You can update the svn properly without error

score 1 · Answer 10 · answered Jan 26 '15 at 05:42

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Tortoise svn ->clean up

Thats all in SVN

answered Jan 26 '15 at 05:42

prashant thakre

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Which often fails or cleans up indefinitely – Asu May 25 '16 at 15:09
What if a user is faced with the problem and does not use TortoiseSVN after all? – Nico Haase Mar 05 '19 at 10:48

score 1 · Answer 11 · answered Feb 27 '15 at 12:03

As you get working copy error, Just run the svn cleanup which clean all the unwanted files and folders. If still error comes, then do one thing.

Copy your files to other drive and delete the working copy folder or file and then take a update it will fetch the fresh file and after this replace with your updated copy and commit the same.

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 02 '12 at 03:49

1

I ended up using export command rather than update command. This is the post-commit hook

"C:\Program Files\VisualSVN Server\bin\svn.exe" export "D:\xampp\htdocs\test-lalala" --quiet --non-interactive --force --username myusername --password mypassword

answered Feb 02 '12 at 03:49

Permana

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score 0 · Answer 13 · answered Jun 04 '14 at 10:52

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For PHPStorm or Intellij:

VCS -> Cleanup Project

answered Jun 04 '14 at 10:52

Frank Roth

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score 0 · Answer 14 · answered Sep 05 '18 at 10:41

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Is your BitLocker disk encryption running? In my case, it locked the whole drive of the disk for encryption, and SVN failed with this error.

answered Sep 05 '18 at 10:41

KrishPrabakar

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score 0 · Answer 15 · answered Jan 26 '12 at 17:21

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I have experienced the same issues as you described. It appears to be a bug on Tortoise 1.7.3. I have reverted back to 1.7.2, executed a cleanup and an update. Now my SVN/Tortoise is working fine again

answered Jan 26 '12 at 17:21

Alan Fletcher

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score -1 · Answer 16 · edited Mar 05 '19 at 10:51

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svn cleanup test-lalala/
svn update

repeat twice

edited Mar 05 '19 at 10:51

Liam

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answered Mar 05 '19 at 10:11

zero8

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Can you explain that further? What does `test-lalala` stand for? – Nico Haase Mar 05 '19 at 10:39
@NicoHaase That is the same name used in the question – Mark Rotteveel Mar 05 '19 at 10:47
And what do you mean by "repeat twice"? – Nico Haase Mar 05 '19 at 10:48

Working Copy Locked

16 Answers16