TFS - dll is locked for check-out by user

Question

2 projects under TFS Source Control.

• DependancyProject.sln

• AppProject.sln

With AppProject referencing DependancyProject.

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The issue I have is with an Installer project in the AppProject. It has DependancyProject.dll as a 'reference'(?) where it tries to include it in the GAC.

When I try to build this project, to create an MSI to install the App, I get the error

The item $/Assemblues/DependancyProject/bin/debug/DependancyProject.dll is locked for check-out by USER in workspace HIS-PC-NAME.

(The PC in question is not dead and not used)

The dll is not (as far as I can see) checked into Source Control. The path it references anyway does not exist when I browse through it (no bin folder).

The DependancyProject is refernced by pretty much every project in Source Control, and i've never had any issues with it. It builds, all the other projects build. It's just this one Installer Project which doesn't.

And I can't see why it would need to try and modify it anyway. All it needs to do (I'm assuming) is make a copy of it.

Any ideas here?

Answer 1

Some files are configured as "non-mergeable" in TFS, which means that they'll be locked when changes are pended on them. The default list includes a variety of binary files, including .dll files. Note that this lock applies to all pending changes - including adds.

It's likely that the other developer in question accidentally pended adds for his bin directory - and any binary files in that directory (ie, most of them) would have been locked as well due to being in that unmergeable list.

You will not be able to pend other changes (including an add in a different workspace) while these items are locked. To break this lock, the other developer can do this by undoing the pending changes, or a server administrator can do it using the Find in Source Control functionality in the Team Foundation Server Power Tools.

That said, I don't know why your build process is trying to pend an add on that file.