Unanswered

Check if file is open

(0) Share

Report

Posted on by leyburn19

2,157

Is there a way to check if an excel file in one drive is open so that I can delay a flow until it is closed and ready to use?

Categories:

General topics

I have the same question (0)

All responses (7)

Answers (0)

RobElliott 10,323 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

Like (1)

Report

@leyburn19 a flow can run even if the Excel file in OneDrive is open. I quite often have an Excel file open of monthly changes to a SharePoint site while a flow is running which deletes the current rows and then populates the spreadsheet with the new data. I find it quite fun to watch the rows disappearing and re-appearing in real time (but then I'v very old and little things like this amuse me).

Rob
Los Gallardos
If I've answered your question or solved your problem, please mark this question as answered. This helps others who have the same question find a solution quickly via the forum search. If you liked my response, please consider giving it a thumbs up. Thanks.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
leyburn19 2,157 on at

Like (0)

Report

Thanks Rob,

That would be fine if I was controlling sequential access, but in this case I am not. It is feasible (but rare) that one of my sites will start the process and another site do it at exactly the same time which means adding rows over the top or to the other. Each site (all 29) must end up with an independent outcome. The process at its longest would take 20 minutes. I am actually thinking of two solutions at the moment.

1. Build a simple delay of 20 minutes at the beginning, but this can meet the same issue
2. Have 29 separate sheets which are access by a switch. Not sure a switch can do 29 cases.

Oh! Modified old saying - Age shall not weary them BUT the years sure do condemn. (I fit the age bracket too)

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
RobElliott 10,323 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

Like (1)

Report

@leyburn19 🙂 Last time I looked a switch could have 27 cases. Just short of what you need.

Rob
Los Gallardos

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
Community Power Pla... on at

Like (0)

Report

Hey @leyburn19 did you ever find a solution to determine if a file is closed? Could really do with a dig out !

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
leyburn19 2,157 on at

Like (0)

Report

Means I ahve to have 27 files with 27 processes. Not really a good solution plus there are restrictions on API calls per minute etc

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
leyburn19 2,157 on at

Like (0)

Report

Not really. the way I solved this was I looked at a store request getting stored in a temp list first. Then the flow runs on a schedule. The process looks at this list and then does the loop

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
jostle 2 on at

Like (0)

Report

Before you run your main flow you could always try and move the file ......
> if it moves then the file isn't open
> if it doesn't move then you have a problem (2nd check for the purists ..... the error message tells you it is locked)

after searching a little more i found this .....
Locked file checking pattern in Power Automate • Tomasz Poszytek, Business Applications MVP

Was this reply helpful? Yes No