file locks

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Posted on by NP-07051442-0

Hello,

I get this error message when running a simple flow....

The file "https://s/Job drop off Library/EMP21.xlsx" is locked for shared use by user1@coh.gov.
clientRequestId: 161e261a-3cb1-4ea5-8c63-ec6bea326637
serviceRequestId: e65011a2-4000-d000-0087-02dead11d6d9

I have tried copying the file, logging out of the browser ,restarting. Nothing releases the lock. Even tried Check out.

Hoping I can get some assistance in this forum...

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Vish WR 3,236 on at

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@NP-07051442-0

This usually happens when the Excel file is still being held by an active Office/Excel Online session in SharePoint, even after closing the browser.

A few things you can try:

Make sure nobody else has the file open in Excel desktop or browser

Try opening the file in desktop Excel and close it properly

Opne the file and see if any active users are in the file

Wait 5–10 minutes for SharePoint/Excel Online to release the lock

Vishnu WR

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David_MA 14,614 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

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This is a very common issue with Power Automate and Excel files. The lock is usually released in about 10 minutes. If this is occurring in a flow, I suggest putting a 10-minute delay before the action in the workflow that calls the spreadsheet. Since I don't know what your flow is doing, this often occurs if you have multiple Excel actions in the same workflow that perform actions on the same spreadsheet. The prior action will initiate the lock.

Here is a blog post with more information on this common issue: 4 Solutions For Excel File Is Locked Error In Power Automate

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11manish 2,293 on at

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Based on your symptoms, the issue is most likely caused by:

a stale Excel Online session

OneDrive sync lock

abandoned flow session

concurrency conflict

The most effective practical fix is usually:

Close Excel everywhere

Kill Excel processes

Pause OneDrive sync

Wait several minutes

Disable concurrency in the flow

Retry the flow

If the issue still persists, recreate the workbook and reconnect the flow to the new file.

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Valantis 5,267 on at

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Hi @NP-07051442-0,

The lock is held by an active Excel Online session that didn't close cleanly. SharePoint keeps the lock alive even after the browser is closed until the session times out server-side.

Fastest fix: go to the SharePoint library, select the file, click the three dots, and choose Manage access or Check in. If the file shows as checked out, force check it back in from there.

If that doesn't work, wait 10 minutes and retry. SharePoint releases stale locks automatically after the session expires.
Long term: if your flow regularly hits this error, add a Delay action of 1-2 minutes between consecutive Excel actions on the same file. Each Excel connector action holds a brief lock and back-to-back calls on the same file will trigger this consistently.

Best regards,

Valantis

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Haque 3,202 on at

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Hi @NP-07051442-0,

Check for Open Sessions: Ensure the file is not open in any other browser tab, device, or app. Sometimes mobile apps or background sync clients hold locks.

Use SharePoint Online Management Shell: Admins can run PowerShell commands to release file locks. Example command to undo check-out or release locks:

Undo-PnPFileCheckout -Url "/sites/yoursite/Shared Documents/EMP21.xlsx"

Change: yoursite = "targeted site url" and EMP21.xlsx = targeted xlsx file.

Note: This requires SharePoint PnP PowerShell module and admin rights.

I am sure some clues I tried to give. If these clues help to resolve the issue brought you by here, please don't forget to check the box Does this answer your question? At the same time, I am pretty sure you have liked the response!

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ShanmugaRaja 8 on at

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Likely Causes:

user1@coh.gov still has the workbook open - in Excel desktop, Excel Online, or through OneDrive sync.

A previous Power Automate run locked the file - Excel connector actions can leave a temporary lock, especially the flow failed midway.

The file is being synced - OneDrive/SharePoint sync may still be holding the workbook.

The flow is trying to access the same Excel file too quickly - Example read Excel row, them update/move/copy the dame file immediately

Copying the file may copy the lock state temporarily - So copying does not always fix it immediately

What to Try:

Ask user1@coh.gov to fully close Excel desktop and Excel Online.

Check OneDrive sync and pause syncing briefily.

wait 10-15 minutes, then rerun the flow.

Add a Dely action before the Excel step.

Add retry logic around the Excel action.

Avoid multiple flow runs accessing the same Excel file at once.

Use a temporary copy of the file for processing.

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