# "Locked Volume" Message **URL:** \ **Category:** EndNote How To\ **Created:** [September 14, 2009, 8:42pm UTC](https://community.endnote.com/t/locked-volume-message/290153 "2009-09-14T20:42:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![padilla12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bb73d2/32.png) [@padilla12](https://community.endnote.com/u/padilla12)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2009, 8:42pm UTC](https://community.endnote.com/t/locked-volume-message/290153/1 "2009-09-14T20:42:40Z")
Dear All, I just purchased an iMac to replace the one that died yesterday (sniff). On my previous iMac, I had transferred all of my libraries, etc to an external drive, and it would automatically backup changes/additions, etc.  I went to that external drive after I plugged in my new computer, transfered it all back to my Mac (more HD space) but now every time I open a library I get the following message:  “The file “Nonfiction Books Owned & Journal Articles-Converted.enl” is locked or is on a locked volume. No changes will be saved.” How do I “unlock” this? I am the only user on this computer. Many thanks. Cordially, Victor Padilla  P.S.  I’m running the Mac OS X 10.6.1 (Snow Leopard)  Message Edited by padilla12 on 09-14-2009 04:45 PM ---
**Author:** ![wwdove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c6cbf5/32.png) [@wwdove](https://community.endnote.com/u/wwdove)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 12:41am UTC](https://community.endnote.com/t/locked-volume-message/290153/2 "2010-04-21T00:41:04Z")
Did you ever figure this out?  I am having the same issue after an upgrade to X3 on Mac. ---
**Author:** ![malachirobertso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@malachirobertso](https://community.endnote.com/u/malachirobertso)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 9:52pm UTC](https://community.endnote.com/t/locked-volume-message/290153/3 "2010-05-04T21:52:53Z")
I have had this same error but under a different circumstance.  EndNote crashed when I was trying to print a reference.  After the crash, my library gives the locked or locked volume error.  I tried unchecking read-only on the file and on the data folder, but it still says that it is locked.  Does anyone have a solution? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![malachirobertso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@malachirobertso](https://community.endnote.com/u/malachirobertso)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 6:32pm UTC](https://community.endnote.com/t/locked-volume-message/290153/4 "2010-05-14T18:32:58Z")
Restarting my machine solved my problem. ---
**Author:** ![felorivera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f19dbf/32.png) [@felorivera](https://community.endnote.com/u/felorivera)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 5:25pm UTC](https://community.endnote.com/t/locked-volume-message/290153/5 "2010-10-07T17:25:20Z")
Any idea on how to unlock a volume or library? ---
**Author:** ![crazygecko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@crazygecko](https://community.endnote.com/u/crazygecko)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 11:02pm UTC](https://community.endnote.com/t/locked-volume-message/290153/6 "2010-10-07T23:02:28Z")
Did you try the procedure described in this  EndNote FAQ: [http://www.endnote.com/support/faqs/Database/faq4.asp](http://www.endnote.com/support/faqs/Database/faq4.asp) ---
**Author:** ![felorivera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f19dbf/32.png) [@felorivera](https://community.endnote.com/u/felorivera)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://community.endnote.com/t/locked-volume-message/290153/7 "2010-10-09T16:34:24Z")
Yes I tried that procedure but still get the “locked” volume message when I try to open the file. Any other options? ---
**Author:** ![crazygecko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@crazygecko](https://community.endnote.com/u/crazygecko)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2010, 8:56pm UTC](https://community.endnote.com/t/locked-volume-message/290153/8 "2010-10-09T20:56:41Z")
A user’s first or last resort:  tech support  -   [http://www.endnote.com/support/entechform.asp](http://www.endnote.com/support/entechform.asp) ---
**Author:** ![biganthony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@biganthony](https://community.endnote.com/u/biganthony)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 9:10am UTC](https://community.endnote.com/t/locked-volume-message/290153/9 "2015-10-23T09:10:17Z")
I had the same problem and I figured out the solution: The library files are “read-only” because they are locked by a process of Endnote, emailhelper86.exe, which didn’t quit properly. The solution is to terminate this process in windows task manager.  This might be a bug of endnote - it occurs occasionally after I use the function “E-mail reference”. Hope this will help. ---
**Author:** ![raelso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3bc359/32.png) [@raelso](https://community.endnote.com/u/raelso)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 1:52pm UTC](https://community.endnote.com/t/locked-volume-message/290153/10 "2015-10-23T13:52:15Z")
Biganthony - you are brilliant!! I was having the same problem and it was fixed by your solution. Thank you!! David ---
**Author:** ![aschamess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9d8465/32.png) [@aschamess](https://community.endnote.com/u/aschamess)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 2:44pm UTC](https://community.endnote.com/t/locked-volume-message/290153/11 "2016-04-08T14:44:38Z")
That’s the ticket.  Many thanks! ---
**Author:** ![tgsher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@tgsher](https://community.endnote.com/u/tgsher)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 4:47pm UTC](https://community.endnote.com/t/locked-volume-message/290153/12 "2016-04-21T16:47:27Z")
This was the answer for me.  Locate the email helper file in the Task Manager on the NEW machine.  End this process and EndNote will load as it should.  Thanks so much, Biganthony!!!  ---
**Author:** ![jgcook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecccb3/32.png) [@jgcook](https://community.endnote.com/u/jgcook)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2016, 3:35pm UTC](https://community.endnote.com/t/locked-volume-message/290153/13 "2016-04-24T15:35:53Z")
Outstanding!  Not only do I now know why this happens every once in a while, but I was able to fix it in through task manager without having to restart.  Restarting the machine had been my only way to fix it before.   ---
**Author:** ![zen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7c8e57/32.png) [@zen](https://community.endnote.com/u/zen)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 3:59pm UTC](https://community.endnote.com/t/locked-volume-message/290153/14 "2016-07-02T15:59:31Z")
Another solution is to quit Google Drive (or any other equivalent cloud saving apps), as they tend to block files while attempting to save them in the cloud. It worked for me. ---
**Author:** ![bjd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@bjd](https://community.endnote.com/u/bjd)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 1:57am UTC](https://community.endnote.com/t/locked-volume-message/290153/15 "2016-12-13T01:57:15Z")
FYI–this worked for me in 2016 with a similar error on Endnote x8 with a library I store on Micrsoft OneDrive. GREAT help Biganthony, thank you! The file had a slightly different name but still had the “email help” stem in it. Just stopped the process in task manager, restarted endnote, and the library launched with no errors and with full read/write permission. ---
**Author:** ![bogel88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@bogel88](https://community.endnote.com/u/bogel88)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 5:55am UTC](https://community.endnote.com/t/locked-volume-message/290153/16 "2016-12-16T05:55:21Z")
perhaps this problem will soon finish quickly