save it to a flash drive or back up or burn a disk with it.
You are right, you do not want to lose it.

I have a relatively new computer, and it does things that I do not want it to do sometimes. I cannot tell you how many hours I have been on the phone with tech support! It can get very exasperating. I want to follow this thread to find out how this is resolved. I would like to be abel to understand this tool of MINE! I don't think the compter understands who owns whom! :?

I have yet to figure out to do that!! I did mosve some stuff to a disc but I'm not sure I did it right and that was a long time ago.

Did you say that you sent it to your daughter and she can open it, so you do have it somewhere, right?

if you want to save something to a flash drive, just go to file and say save as. Then when you are done, check the flash drive to see that it is there and you can use it.

if you burn a disk, just follow the instructions and when finished besure you can use the disk to be able to open it.

if your daughter has it, tell her to save it and then call it up and rename it and send it to you and see if you can open it. It might save you setting back the computer.

send it to me, if you wish and I will see if I can open it.
[email protected].
I will not read it, just see if I can open it and then I will delete it.

She couldn't open it either. Everything i tried didn't work.

Hi Rhonda - Just got back to read this thread. - I did some googling for you.

Here are some common causes for documents being "Used" by another application(and or locked)

1 Outlook /outlookexpress open

(solution) If you hit Cntl/Alt/Del - at the same time (I do this by pressing ctl down first and holding it down then I press alt and hold that down and finally the del key - at this point all three are down - then release them a "Windows task manager" pops up showing all running applications. You can shut any "running application" down here.

2 Ms Word (or Ms Works) not registered

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Someone suggested that you do a System Restore (that was kind of what I meant by go to a backup point).To Find that in XP click on

Start / Programs / Accessories / System Tools / System Restore

It will bring up a screen where you can either create a restore point or go back to a restore point. Here is a link that will explain it

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...emrestore.mspx

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One last option is use a filer restorer program. These programs can retrieve data even after a Hard drive format. I have had some experience with these (I had 2 HD's in my computer and re-formated the wrong one :-( ). Some where on one of my computers. I have one. If I find it , I will PM you and have you send the file to me if you can - I will see if my Prog will retrieve the data. Lots of times it will retrieve the words only and not the photos.

Thanks Betty
I am reluctant to retrieve the program if it means I will lose everthing i have done since that file. I might try backing everthing up and then try it but probably not. I am not wanting anything from the file as i started over and rewrote it anyway. I just thought I would still try to see if I could learn how so if it happens again I will know what to do.

I did try the task manager and that wasn't the problem. I am not real tech savy so am reluctant to rock the boat and do something stupid when I don't need the file anymore.

Thanks for the suggestions!

I guess I really wanted to know why this happens. Is there something I can do to prevent it. I have been saving files for 3 years and this has happened one other time to several of my EQ5 files that all had similar names. It locked them all up. That was last year and now it's done it again. There were two files a version 1 file and a version 2 file and it locked them both up suggesting it wasn't an error when I saved the file.
Same with the EQ it was all files that had the Half Square words in the title of the files. It wasn't just one file. So I am curious what triggered this.

just for grins - send me the file and lets see if the file recovery prog can see your document. I just PMed you that I found it with me email. It actually does not open the files but cleans up the file so it can be opened. If it works - you will know what to do if it ever happens again.