This morning I got an automatic update from firefox. After that I found that my WPS documents, which I had saved on my computer, had been 'locked' by some damn thing (Avast tells me "wps.exe is trying to change or delete the file." I'm asked either to 'block app' or 'allow app') and now it seems that I can either (1) open them as read-only, which is no good because I am working on and changing them all the time; or (2) drag them out of the Cloud.
I don't want or need any damn clouds. Why is this happening and how can I get the f*#&kers to leave me alone?
I didn't even know Microsoft Works was still around, much less working.
You can TRY this - migrate your works docs to MS Word, using a MS Works -> MS Word converter utility. Then just use MS Word or any of a gajillion open office equivalents (such as LibreOffice).
Please note - I have NOT checked if LibreOffice also implemented cloud capabilities which may complicate your life downstream.
Probably NOT something you want to hear. It seems perhaps you've somehow activated "cloud storage & sync through either MS, Firefox, or any of a number of other sneaky apps trying to suck you into their domain.
Oh...and for cursing online, I typically use this format <verbose expletives>...
For backup storage similar to cloud storage - I always have 1-2 external USB drives, which auto-sync ever hour. I have TWO backup hard drives as occasionally my primary backup drive fails (known issue with this brand of drive and my brand of PC).
Close Firefox. Check file properties/ file associations of one of your known WPS files.
The Firefox update could be coincidental and somehow your WPS files have become associated or linked to another application. Your files are probably intact so don’t do anything premature or drastic. (Happily) not used Windows for more than a decade, so unable to guide in detail.
Firefox crashed, I rebooted, now works again.
trying to open a file, I get "document has been locked by another application", but I can "get 1G free storage space for WPS users".
I don't need it, would be happy to get back to my same old used to be.
file properties/file associations of known WPS file are like where?
I am trying to write a book and I've spend 4 hours on this nonsense today and that's a bit different from literary creativity and I really don't need this kind of expletive deleted.
Thanks for the suggestions everybody but it's been another day wasted.
If you can open them as read only, then a simple solution would be to copy and paste your work into a new different word processing program and save it there. There is plenty of freeware out there, like openoffice for example. It's possible another progRam could just open and work with your wps files also. I think OpenOffice is capable of that. I'd suggest backing up your current and future work on a separate drive, so if you're program misbehaves again, you'll have your files in a not messed with condition elsewhere.
Follow this link to read about file associations:
etc.usf.edu/[...]
About this dialog: "get 1G free storage space for WPS users" - it looks like a promotion from www.wps.com which is owned/run by Kingsoft. Do you have any Kingsoft applications on your PC? Translation software? If so, try closing this stuff. I'm clutching at straws here but once again, your WPS files are almost certainly safe. Stick them on a thumb drive if you can. Some Windows user will be along here at some point so let them know what version of Windows you're using.
Thanks, but getting a whole different word processing program just for this sounds simple but a lot more of a change than I'd like to make.
Have everything backed up on an external hard drive and I've found that I can open the backed-up versions and write on them, but I haven't done so because I'm afraid that when I save them, either on my computer or on the external hard drive, some soulless WPS program will smile a phony electronic smile and then automatically throw them into the Cloud as read-onlys.
I write, that's what I do, I am not an electron mechanic. If I were a bricklayer I would not be expected to know how to grow tomatoes.
Am sure all your advice is good, thanks anyway. I think I will drink now.
I don't know how it works for WPS, but in windows if you have a read only doc, and Save As, new file name, you can edit the new do. It might be worth a try.
Also keep googling your problem, I am sure it will come up in a tech chat room very soon. Sorry if I sound like I am trying to teach you to suck eggs.
@tiger: no offense and thanks for the advice, I'm confused by virtually all computer/internet things and am perfectly willing to hear people give me simple advice.
Alien I sometimes get the error message "file is locked by another user" when using Word. It invariably turns out that I have clicked on the file too enthusiastically and opened it twice. I then need to close one of the copies before I can save the other. You may not be as careless as me but it's worth a try.
