# mp3 files locked
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mp3-files-locked/8543
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [July 3, 2009, 4:03am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mp3-files-locked/8543 "2009-07-03T04:03:57Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@kimosapiens](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/kimosapiens)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2009, 4:03am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mp3-files-locked/8543/1 "2009-07-03T04:03:57Z")
Some files can't be modify. There is a message error: **file can't be opened for writing..**.
This error occurs only in a few files. I am pretty sure my mp3 files are not **read only** files. Verified in properties.
How do I "unlock" these files?
---
### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2009, 4:45am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mp3-files-locked/8543/2 "2009-07-03T04:45:30Z")
> [@Kimosavi](#):
>
> Some files can't be modify. There is a message error: **file can't be opened for writing..**. This error occurs only in a few files. I am pretty sure my mp3 files are not **read only** files. Verified in properties.
> How do I "unlock" these files?
At first ... check the file size of the file.
If file size is zero then try to apply the tracknumber assistant to this file, it adds a proper tag to the file, try your modifying again.
DD.20090703.0858.CEST
---
### Author:  [@kimosapiens](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/kimosapiens)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2009, 4:16am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mp3-files-locked/8543/3 "2009-07-10T04:16:52Z")
> [@Kimosavi](#):
>
> Some files can't be modify. There is a message error: **file can't be opened for writing..**.
> This error occurs only in a few files. I am pretty sure my mp3 files are not **read only** files. Verified in properties.
>
> How do I "unlock" these files?
not my case ☹
---
### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2009, 12:16pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mp3-files-locked/8543/4 "2009-07-10T12:16:04Z")
This can be caused by a plentitude of things:
1. You don't have enough permissions to modify the file
2. If the file needs to be rewritten, you need permission to create new files in the file system (for the temporary file)
3. Something else bad happened :slight\_smile:
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### Author:  [@kimosapiens](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/kimosapiens)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2009, 12:33am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mp3-files-locked/8543/5 "2009-07-14T00:33:10Z")
NUMBER 3 😳
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### Author:  [@WGBeekhuis](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/WGBeekhuis)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2012, 7:51pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mp3-files-locked/8543/6 "2012-10-02T19:51:59Z")
> [@Kimosavi](#):
>
> Some files can't be modify. There is a message error: **file can't be opened for writing..**.
> This error occurs only in a few files. I am pretty sure my mp3 files are not **read only** files. Verified in properties.
>
> How do I "unlock" these files?
You can convert the files with Foobar2000 from Flac to Flac or MP3 o MP3 and the MP3 Tags will be unlocked.
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mp3-files-locked/8543/7 "2012-10-03T15:44:42Z")
> [@Kimosavi](#):
>
> NUMBER 3 😳
Who is the owner of the files? (Check with an additional column in explorer. If it is someone other than the login you are currently using, regain ownership or login again with the correct user account).
What other programs currently access the files? E.g. opening large files via the Explorer Context menu causes problems as the explorer tries to update the properties display. Workaround: open the files only with the means of the Mp3tag File menu.
---
### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2025, 11:04am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mp3-files-locked/8543/8 "2025-11-10T11:04:07Z")