Keep getting message "this file is locked by another user"

Hi, I keep getting the following message" this file is locked by another user. do you want to open as Read-Only" this means that each time I want to save the file I have to save it under another name, so I now have a long list of files with the same information in them. Can anyone provide a solution? tia

Don’t save into a cloud folder or a folder that is synced to the cloud, but to a local folder. Syncing tends to take possession of your files. Back up to the cloud only when finished editing.

In Windows there is a much simpler case where you see the message, that doesn’t even need the files to be on a shared server.

When you double-click to open a file in File Explorer, that will open a new instance of the application for that document. If you then go on to double-click on the same document, another instance is opened, and the second instance thinks that the document is already open (which it is, by the first instance).

If you ever see the message about the file being locked and will open as read only, look at the SketchUp icon in the Taskbar, and check if any of the open documents is the one you’re trying to open.

I remembered yet another case: This might also happen if you have the file selected in Explorer with the Preview pane open.