One of my colleagues is trying to open a document that he created. However, when he tries to open it it says "can't open document - checked out by another user (persons username inserted here)." has this happened to anyone else? How do you get around this?

"can't open document - checked out by another user (persons username inserted here)" - it just means that the document has been checked out by another user. You will not be able to check out until the other user has not checked it in. This happens all the time with all the users. However, you could overwrite the checkout to access the document if you have necessary permissions to do so. What sort of permissions does your colleague have? If he has full control or design permission, he/she would be able to override the checkout. Else, you can look at the checked out user and ask him to discard the checkout. If the above options are beyond consideration, you may ask the administrator to discard the check out. V

"can't open document - checked out by another user (persons username inserted here)" - it just means that the document has been checked out by another user. You will not be able to check out until the other user has not checked it in. This happens all the time with all the users. However, you could overwrite the checkout to access the document if you have necessary permissions to do so. What sort of permissions does your colleague have? If he has full control or design permission, he/she would be able to override the checkout. Else, you can look at the checked out user and ask him to discard the checkout. If the above options are beyond consideration, you may ask the administrator to discard the check out. V

Hi, According to your description, I agree with V’s said. When a user checks out a document, then forgets to check it in, other users can’t edit the document. The Override Check Out permission allows one user to check in a document checked out by another user. The same permission allows a user to discard the checkout of a document checked out by another user. This permission is part of the Design and Full Control permission levels. You can delegate this specific permission by creating a new permission level. To do so, follow these steps: 1. Open the Site Settings page. 2. Click the Advanced Permissions link. 3. On the menu bar, click Settings and choose Permission Levels. 4. Click the Add a Permission Level button. 5. Enter a descriptive name, such as Manage Check Out. 6. In the List Permissions section, select Override Check Out. Other required permissions will automatically be selected. 7. Click OK. After creating the permission level, follow these steps to create a role that will be associated with the permission: 1. Open People and Groups. 2. In the menu bar, click the New button drop-down arrow, then choose New Group. 3. Enter a group name, such as Document Check Out Managers. 4. If you want the group to have this permission for all lists and libraries in the site, select the permission in the Give Group Permission to this Site box. If you want to assign the group permissions to one or more specific lists or libraries, then clear all permissions. 5. Click OK. Finally, you can give the role permission to the site or to one or more specific document libraries (or lists). To assign the group Override Check Out permission to the entire site, select the permission in step 4, above. To assign the group permission to one document library, open the permissions for the library, add the group (click the New button and choose Add Users), and select the permission level. Best Regards David Hu

Hi, According to your description, I agree with V’s said. When a user checks out a document, then forgets to check it in, other users can’t edit the document. The Override Check Out permission allows one user to check in a document checked out by another user. The same permission allows a user to discard the checkout of a document checked out by another user. This permission is part of the Design and Full Control permission levels. You can delegate this specific permission by creating a new permission level. To do so, follow these steps: 1. Open the Site Settings page. 2. Click the Advanced Permissions link. 3. On the menu bar, click Settings and choose Permission Levels. 4. Click the Add a Permission Level button. 5. Enter a descriptive name, such as Manage Check Out. 6. In the List Permissions section, select Override Check Out. Other required permissions will automatically be selected. 7. Click OK. After creating the permission level, follow these steps to create a role that will be associated with the permission: 1. Open People and Groups. 2. In the menu bar, click the New button drop-down arrow, then choose New Group. 3. Enter a group name, such as Document Check Out Managers. 4. If you want the group to have this permission for all lists and libraries in the site, select the permission in the Give Group Permission to this Site box. If you want to assign the group permissions to one or more specific lists or libraries, then clear all permissions. 5. Click OK. Finally, you can give the role permission to the site or to one or more specific document libraries (or lists). To assign the group Override Check Out permission to the entire site, select the permission in step 4, above. To assign the group permission to one document library, open the permissions for the library, add the group (click the New button and choose Add Users), and select the permission level. Best Regards David Hu