SNIP
>
>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)

Right, Jim. System B's default was EXCL ON!@!#!@ Changing it to OFF made my result same as yours.
Getting sloppy as age increases.

I think I have things straight now. While I think that mentioning EXCL in the docs cited would be a helpful thing, I no longer see it as an omission in NEED of correction.

Thanks

>
>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.