Checking Out a Document

Checking out a document is an M-Files function that prevents concurrent editing. A checked out document can still be viewed and opened in read-only mode by other users.

When you check out a document, a small check mark () is shown on the document icon. A red icon () means that the document has been checked out to someone else.

Note: When you check out a document in M-Files Desktop, the M-Files Web user interface shows that the same document is checked out to someone else. The same applies the other way around. This happens because the two clients use a different client cache. You can, however, use the Undo Checkout command.

Functions without checkout

You can add files to and remove files from a multi-file document without checking it out for editing. You can also rename and replace files without checking them out.

Sending a check-in request

You can also send a check-in request to the user who has checked out a document: Right-click the document and select Send Check-in Request. The user gets an email message about the request. The message also contains a link to the document. The check-in request is sent to the email address associated with the user's login account.

Undoing Document Checkout

With the Undo Checkout function, you can undo checking out a document without saving the changes on the server. In this case, you lose all changes you made to the document during the checkout. This function is useful when you have checked a document out, made changes and saved the document, but do not want the changes to take effect. In other words, you want to restore the document to how it was before you checked it out.

If the document has never been checked in, it is deleted when the Undo Checkout function is used.