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Desktop Client: Why do I only have view capability (why can't I create or edit iGrafx files, why is there a lock)?

Symptom​

You can't create or edit iGrafx files, and a lock icon may appear next to the mouse pointer.

Cause​

The cause is usually one of the following:

  1. No license key is activated, or your subscription key has expired.
  2. Only the Viewer shortcut is installed.
  3. The file is read-only: it's marked read-only in Windows, someone else has it open for editing, or you didn't check it out of a repository.
  4. The document is password-protected.
  5. There's a problem with your installation.
  6. You're running a simulation.

Resolution​

Find the cause that matches what you see.

You can only view files, due to a missing or an expired license key​

Without an activated, valid license key, iGrafx falls back to view-only mode. You're in view-only mode if you can't choose File > New (iGrafx 2013), or if From Template is the only choice in File > New and it's grayed out (iGrafx 2011 and earlier).

To check which license keys you have installed:

  1. Start iGrafx.
  2. From the Help menu, choose About iGrafx.
  3. In the License Keys section of the dialog box, click Manage.
  4. Click each enabled key, and note its description.

What you see there usually points to one of these causes:

  • No activated license key. An incorrect key can't be activated: iGrafx shows an error when you try. Activate the license key you received for your product.
  • A license key that didn't install completely. The key's description says uninstalled. This is usually a permissions issue: have a full administrator, such as your IT department, install the software on your machine.
  • An expired subscription key. Subscription keys are valid only for a set period. If the key's description says the key has run out, your subscription has expired. To continue working, contact us at https://www.igrafx.com/contact/.

Only the Viewer shortcut is in the Start menu​

If Viewer is the only shortcut under Start > Programs > iGrafx, the shortcut for your product may not have been installed, for example if someone else installed your software. Check which keys are enabled, as described above, to see which product you're licensed for, and make sure its shortcut is installed.

If you want to make a purchase, contact us at https://www.igrafx.com/contact/.

The file is read-only​

iGrafx opens a file as read-only in these cases:

  • The file's properties in Windows are set to Read-only.
  • Someone else has the file open for editing in iGrafx when you open it.
  • You viewed the document from a repository instead of checking it out.

When you move the mouse pointer over the diagram, a lock icon may appear next to the arrow. To edit the file, do one of the following:

  • Clear the read-only property in Windows Explorer.
  • Ask the other person to finish their edits and save and close the file.
  • Check the document out of the repository.

The document is password-protected​

To see whether a document is protected, open the Tools menu. The second entry is one of the following:

  • Unprotect Document...: the document is protected. Choose this command and enter the password to unprotect it.
  • Protect Document...: the document isn't protected. Choose this command to protect it with a password.

If you've lost the password, you can't unprotect or edit the document. You can still open a read-only copy and copy its contents to a new document: for each diagram or other component, select everything (Ctrl+A), copy it (Ctrl+C), and paste it (Ctrl+V) into another document. Then edit the new document.

There's a problem with your installation​

Your installation may be incomplete or damaged. Run a repair install. Uninstalling and reinstalling is more thorough, but you lose user-specific settings, such as toolbar positions.

Run the installer as an administrator: right-click setup.exe and choose Run as Administrator. If you don't have administrator rights on your machine, ask your IT department to run it. For installation options, see the iGrafx Installation Guide.

You're running a simulation​

You can't edit a file while a simulation runs, for example in iGrafx Process or Process for Six Sigma, and a lock icon appears on the pointer. To edit the file, stop the simulation: if the Stop button on the Modeling toolbar is enabled, click it. The button is a square, like the stop button on a media player.

If none of this solves the problem, contact Support through our Service Desk and provide the information requested.