Locked by another user
Current versions of Word let you edit collaboratively with another user. However there are times when you'll get a "locked by another user" error. There are several causes, such as someone (including you) checking out a document on SharePoint rather than just opening it, using an earlier version of Word, or having a crash while you have a document open.
If the other user is you:
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Close the documents on the other device where you have it open.
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You can edit a copy and then "Save as" and overwrite the original file.
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If the document is locked due to an earlier crash, try rebooting your computer to clear it.
If the other user is really someone else:
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Contact the other user and ask them to check the document in. For more info, see Check out or check in files in a document library.
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Ask the user to open the document on a version of Word where you can collaborate. The document may need to be shared.
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Either you or the other user edit a copy and reconcile differences later. For more info, see Combine document revisions.
To avoid these issues later, see Collaborate in Word.
