Windows Server Hacks: Determine Who Has a File Open

Written expressly for system administrators, this book offers tips and techniques that go beyond the basic management tasks. The hack shown here will show you how to use the Hyena utility to quickly find out which user on your network has a particular file open.

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Hack #49: Determine Who Has a Particular File Open on the Network
Use the Hyena utility to quickly find out which user on your network has a particular file open.

One of the biggest problems for system administrators is dealing with helpdesk or user requests that ask you to see who has a particular document open on the network. This can be most effectively completed using a utility called Hyena from SystemTools.com. With this utility, you can even disconnect the user who has the open file or send her a message asking her to close the file in question.

Here's a quick walkthrough on how to use the product, so you can see how easy it is to use. Start Hyena and begin by selecting the server name where the file is stored. Expand the + sign and the Shares leaf, and select the share you want to examine. Then, drill through the directories until you find the subdirectory you want, such as SqlDev in Figure 5-1.

Figure 5-1. Finding open files in Hyena.

Now, select the file you want (SMS_ABC_Database.mdb in our example) in the right pane to see who has it open. Right-click it, and from the context menu select More Functions and then Open By (Figure 5-2).

Figure 5-2. Selecting an open file.

Now, in the menu to the right, you will see who the user is by examining the User Name column, as shown in Figure 5-3.

Figure 5-3. Viewing who has the file open.

Now it is just a matter of either sending the user a message or, if he is unavailable, disconnecting him, by right-clicking on the file and choosing the appropriate menu option (Figure 5-4). If you opt for the latter, keep in mind that the file will be closed without giving the user the opportunity to make any final changes.

Figure 5-4. Disconnecting the user.

You can download a free, 30-day, fully functional, evaluation copy of this great tool from http://systemtools.com/hyena/download_frame.htm. Enjoy!

—Don Hite

More Windows Server Hacks
• Hack #25: Search for Domain Users
• Hack #76: Find Computers with Automatic Logon Enabled

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