Jim,

My observations are different I get;

Open in A shared and secure file lock

Double click on table and VFP loads and file is open (if the tools options data excluse use is set to .F. other wise the attempt is to open exclusive)

Excel refuses to open becaus ehte file lock causes excel to get read only access and excel doesn;t like readonly access.

Use exclusive locks out everybody from the table.

yes it is the OS that holds the lock, VFP file and record locks are semiphores because the actual resource being locked is not what the OS locks, biut an offset from it.

Exclusive use is an exclusive open at the OS level.