The item is currently locked for editing. Waiting for item to be checked in or for the lock to be released

Workflow error:

The item is currently locked for editing. Waiting for item to be checked in or for the lock to be released.

Working with SharePoint Designer 2010 and InfoPath, I created a workflow to perform an Action once a form was submitted or changed.

The error above was stopping the workflow from running any of the Steps / Actions.

The fix was to add a Wait for Change in Document Check-Out Status Action to the workflow.  This Action should be the first item executed in the workflow.

The item is currently locked for editing

The item is currently locked for editing

Why does this happen?  Assume the workflow is being triggered the millisecond that the form is being written to the library and not waiting for all the data to finish writing.

*Note* Once the form/item is unlocked, it might take a few minutes for the workflow timer to process the item.

9 thoughts on “The item is currently locked for editing. Waiting for item to be checked in or for the lock to be released

  1. Did you found an answer? This is currently ruining my workflow, and I wonder why, since the item is not checked out, on any computer.

  2. simon, the answer is posted in the above blog post. you might be seeing another issue unrelated to workflows.

  3. For whatever reason, this “Wait for Change in Document Check Out Status” option is a contextual option only available in certain points.

    I am unable to find a way to create this step in the Approval Workflow – SharePoint 2010 out of the box workflow I have copied.

    Is this a list only context or would/should it work on a library as well?

  4. Do you have the Wait for Checked Out To action in your workflow Library action?

    I normally use Wait for Change in Document Check Out Status or Wait for Checked Out actions in my Libraries (document and form).

  5. Sorry to be an idiot, I’m just struggling to get this to work. I’ve got a workflow to change permissions as an impersonation step, do I add this as a new step above this or as part of the impersonation step?

    Also, what status do I choose? Checked in/out or unlocked as neither seem to allow the workflow to run at the moment.

  6. @ Rob, it’s SharePoint… live n’ learn!

    If I’m reading you correctly, your first step would be the Impersonation Step. Inside this step, the first Action would be Wait for document to be Unlocked by document editor. Then you can do your permission action(s).

    Holler if you need anymore help.

  7. For those having issues with this I noted that the instuctions above do not specify which option should be selected in the “Wait for Change in Document Check-Out Status” action. I found this fix works most of the time if I select the “Unlocked by document editor” option.

  8. FYI if you can’t find this action, it is always under my actions if I create a list workflow instead of a reusable workflow and connect it to a library… may or may not help you.

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