The code uses an ineffective method to try to get an EXCLUSIVE lock on the file. The only reliable method is to USE EXCLUSIVE and then catch a failure to open the table.

>I've been trying to get my code to work, but something must be wrong. It never gets a file handle. It always comes up as -1.
>
>Cecil
>
>

>* Get rid of all QUOTES records, which are marked for deletion.
>* Declare and Initialize variables.
>#DEFINE CRLF CHR(10)+CHR(13)
>#DEFINE NREADWRITE 12
>LOCAL ;
>	lcFileName As Character, lcMessageText1 As Character, ;
>	lcTitleBarText1 As Character, lnResponse1 As Integer, ;
>	lcMessageText2 As Character, lcTitleBarText2 As Character, ;
>	lnResponse2 As Integer, lnFileHandle As Integer, ;
>	lnDeletes As Integer, lnYes As Integer, llGo As Logical
>
>lcFileName="C:DEV\CMW\DATA\QUOTES.DBF"
>lcMessageText1="File is in use. Do you want to try again?"
>lcTitleBarText1="File is in use."
>lnDeletes=0
>lnYes=6		&& For MessageBox response.
>llGo=.T.	&& Loop Local Logical.
>
>SET STEP ON
>* Loop.
>DO WHILE llGo
>	* Open and Close file quickly.
>	lnFileHandle=FOPEN(lcFileName, NREADWRITE)
>	llFileClosed=FCLOSE(lnFileHandle)
>	* If the file didn't close, use the CLOSE ALL command; it closes all low-level files.
>	IF llFileClosed = .F.
>		CLOSE ALL
>	ENDIF
>	* Find out what happened.
>	IF lnFileHandle < 0		&& File could not be opened exclusively.
>		lnResponse1=MESSAGEBOX(lcMessageText1, 4+32, lcTitleBarText1)
>		IF lnResponse1 = 6	&& YES.
>			llGo = .T.	&& Stay in Loop. Try to open file in exclusive mode again.
>		ELSE
>			llGo = .F.	&& Exit loop. Do not try to open file exclusively again.
>		ENDIF
>	ELSE
>		* No one else has the file open, so open it now in Exclusive mode.
>		USE (lcFileName) EXCLUSIVE IN 0
>		SELECT QUOTES
>		COUNT FOR DELETED() TO lnDeletes
>		IF lnDeletes > 0
>			IF lnDeletes = 1
>				lcMessageText2= ;
>					"There is 1 record marked for deletion." + ;
>					CRLF + ;
>					"Do you want to proceed to PACK the QUOTES table?"
>			ENDIF
>			IF lnDeletes > 1
>				lcMessageText2= ;
>					"There are " + ALLTRIM(STR(lnDeletes)) + ;
>					" records marked for deletion." + ;
>					CRLF + ;
>					"Do you want to proceed to PACK the QUOTES table?"
>			ENDIF
>			lcTitleBarText2="Decision Time."
>			lnResponse2=MESSAGEBOX(lcMessageText2, 4+32, lcTitleBarText2)
>			IF lnResponse2=lnYes
>				WAIT WINDOW NOWAIT "Removing all records marked for deletion..."
>				PACK
>			ENDIF
>			llGo = .F.	&& Drop out of loop.
>		ELSE
>			lcMessageText2 ="NO records were marked for deletion."
>			lcTitleBarText2="Nothing to do!"
>			MESSAGEBOX(lcMessageText2, 0+64, lcTitleBarText2)
>			llGo = .F.	&& Drop out of loop.
>		ENDIF
>		* Close QUOTES table.
>		USE
>		CLOSE DATABASES
>	ENDIF
>ENDDO
>