# Why is my Layout File Locked and won't let me export as a PDF?!

**URL:** <https://forums.sketchup.com/t/why-is-my-layout-file-locked-and-wont-let-me-export-as-a-pdf/199216>\
**Category:** LayOut\
**Tags:** layout, export\
**Created:** [May 22, 2022, 8:12am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/why-is-my-layout-file-locked-and-wont-let-me-export-as-a-pdf/199216 "2022-05-22T08:12:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sarahecostruct](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sarahecostruct](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Sarahecostruct)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2022, 8:12am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/why-is-my-layout-file-locked-and-wont-let-me-export-as-a-pdf/199216/1 "2022-05-22T08:12:40Z")

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Hi! I just updated to the new 2022 Sketchup Pro. I have just finished a presentation in Layout and need to export it and it won’t let me. When I close the file and open it again it says it is locked and Read Only. Why is it locked? How do I unlock??? Have to send to clients tonight!! Please help!

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**Author:** ![Anssi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/anssi/32/105_2.png) [@Anssi](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Anssi)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2022, 8:20am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/why-is-my-layout-file-locked-and-wont-let-me-export-as-a-pdf/199216/2 "2022-05-22T08:20:26Z")

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Have you restarted your computer?

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**Author:** ![Sarahecostruct](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sarahecostruct](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Sarahecostruct)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2022, 10:51am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/why-is-my-layout-file-locked-and-wont-let-me-export-as-a-pdf/199216/3 "2022-05-22T10:51:30Z")

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Well that worked!! Simple is best! Could cry- thank youuuuuuu!!!

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**Author:** ![MikeWayzovski](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/mikewayzovski/32/98346_2.png) [@MikeWayzovski](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/MikeWayzovski)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2022, 11:37am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/why-is-my-layout-file-locked-and-wont-let-me-export-as-a-pdf/199216/4 "2022-05-22T11:37:57Z")

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Fwiw, if you save any file on a cloud location (on Mac, this is done automatically when you have upgraded to a new OS) and when files are getting bigger, the upload speed of your internet connection can hostage files until the process is finished.  
Better not work directly in those locations.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Anssi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/anssi/32/105_2.png) [@Anssi](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Anssi)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2022, 4:58pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/why-is-my-layout-file-locked-and-wont-let-me-export-as-a-pdf/199216/5 "2022-05-22T16:58:35Z")

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To add to what Mike said, applications do not always close properly and may leave parts of themselves running in the background, and keep their hold on files that have been opened. Restarting is the simplest solution - another might be opening the Task Manager and identifying and stopping all SketchUp-related processes found running there.