---
title: "Unlock files"
slug: "unlock-files"
description: "Unlock locked files and rerun message jobs easily with our step-by-step guide. Learn how to manage file history status effectively."
tags: ["Connectivity Studio", "CS", "Task"]
status: "new"
updated: 2026-09-22T13:18:59Z
published: 2026-09-22T13:18:59Z
canonical: "docs.staedean.com/unlock-files"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.staedean.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Unlock files

Files can be locked by another message run. Or a previous message run was interrupted, and left the file locked. In these cases, you can unlock the files, and then rerun the message.

If a message run encounters a locked file, the error message refers to **Update file history status**. Run this job to unlock the affected files, and then rerun the message.

### Steps

1. Go to **Connectivity studio** > **Periodic** > **Unblock data** > **Update file history status**.
2. In the **Timeout (in hours)** field, define the number of hours a file must be in progress (locked) before it's considered for unlocking.

Files that are locked for less than the defined number of hours are skipped.
3. Optionally, in the **Message** field, select a message.

Only file history records of the selected message are unlocked. Leave the field blank to unlock file history records of all messages.
4. In the **Keep file in work folder** field, select an option.
  - **Yes**: The file is kept in the work folder after it's unlocked.
  - **No**: The file isn't kept in the work folder after it's unlocked.
5. Sub-task: Set recurrence.
  1. You can unlock files in batch in a recurring pattern.

Expand the **Run in the background** section.
  2. Select **Yes** in the **Batch processing** field and fill in the other fields as desired.
  3. Click **Recurrence**.
  4. Fill in the recurrence settings as desired and click **OK**.
6. Click **OK**.
7. Review the **Infolog** message.

> [!NOTE]
> Note
> 
> The **Infolog** shows the result of the unlocking:
> 
> - If files are unlocked, the **Infolog** shows that the unlocking was successful, and the number of files that were unlocked.
> - If no files are picked up for unlocking, the **Infolog** shows "No files were picked up for unblocking."