What does the padlock on a file icon mean?

[TheMarko]

I am running LabVIEW 2011 SP1.  In Windows Explorer some of my files (both .vi and .lvproj) have a small padlock on the file icon.  The files open fine and aren't broken.  What does this icon represent?

[SnowMule]

Read-only, perhaps?  Are they checked into source control?

[TheMarko]

Its not read-only.  It is in our source control, but it is not checked out.

[crossrulz]

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@TheMarko wrote:

Its not read-only.  It is in our source control, but it is not checked out.

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If it isn't checked out, then it should be locked.  Hence the padlock.

[TheMarko]

That sounds logical, but isn't the case.  The file icon with the padlock is in my local directory not in the source safe area.  Furthermore not all of the files have the padlock on them.  Also they aren't actually locked.  I'm not sure why they have the padlock because it doesn't seem to make them act any different than non-padlocked items.  A co-worker has seen the same thing and he thinks it is related to the file having some kind of problem or error when it compiles but so far I haven't noticed any issues like that.  I was hoping someone else had seen it too and knew for sure what it was.

[JÞB]

Tools>>Options>>Enviroment.  Check the box for "Treat read only files as Locked" 

[TheMarko]

No, that isn't checked. Only the 'Enable automatic saving for recovery' option is checked in the Saving VIs section

[JÞB]

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@TheMarko wrote:

No, that isn't checked. Only the 'Enable automatic saving for recovery' option is checked in the Saving VIs section

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You WANT to check that box if you use source control. (Trust me - your really want to check the box )

[TheMarko]

Lol OK, thanks for that tip.  Toggling that option didn't seem to have any affect on the icon though.  From what I've experienced the strange icon hasn't affected anything [yet].  I am just trying to figure out where it came from and what it is going to eventually affect because I'm sure its there for some reason.

[billko]

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@JÞB wrote:

Tools>>Options>>Enviroment.  Check the box for "Treat read only files as Locked" 

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I interpreted that as "Observe the state of the checkbox," rather than "Make sure the box has a check mark."  Maybe the OP read it the same way.  😉