I'm not sure if this is helpful or not but we've discovered 2 things about files that open as 'read only':
1. When a file opens as read-only, there is no ‘lock file’ that I can see in the folder the InDesign file was opened from. Once a file opens as read-only, it will continue to open as read-only for several days. Sometimes it will open correctly at a much later date, sometimes not.
2. Our IT department watched the folder I was opening a read-only file from and they were able to see 4 lock files open on their end. Keep in mind, I have my ‘show hidden files’ box checked so theoretically I should have been able to see the 4 lock files, but I could not. When I closed the read-only file, the lock files did not close. IT was able to close them from their end and the file opened correctly after they closed them.
I'm not sure if this is helpful or not but we've discovered 2 things about files that open as 'read only':
1. When a file opens as read-only, there is no ‘lock file’ that I can see in the folder the InDesign file was opened from. Once a file opens as read-only, it will continue to open as read-only for several days. Sometimes it will open correctly at a much later date, sometimes not.
2. Our IT department watched the folder I was opening a read-only file from and they were able to see 4 lock files open on their end. Keep in mind, I have my ‘show hidden files’ box checked so theoretically I should have been able to see the 4 lock files, but I could not. When I closed the read-only file, the lock files did not close. IT was able to close them from their end and the file opened correctly after they closed them.