# File in use error **URL:** \ **Category:** Toad for Oracle - Beta\ **Created:** [September 23, 2020, 7:00pm UTC](https://forums.toadworld.com/t/file-in-use-error/51072 "2020-09-23T19:00:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![marc\_109](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@marc\_109](https://forums.toadworld.com/u/marc_109)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2020, 7:00pm UTC](https://forums.toadworld.com/t/file-in-use-error/51072/1 "2020-09-23T19:00:03Z")
I was not in debug mode, just running queries. This popped up. File has a query from 2 days ago. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/quest/original/2X/6/6c6797a8aa02ed1d7dde66d5f81f3a27b5170feb.png) ---
**Author:** ![JohnDorlon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/quest/user_avatar/forums.toadworld.com/johndorlon/32/9997_2.png) [@JohnDorlon](https://forums.toadworld.com/u/JohnDorlon)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2020, 7:01pm UTC](https://forums.toadworld.com/t/file-in-use-error/51072/2 "2020-09-23T19:01:20Z")
Do you have Spool SQL To File enabled in more than one copy of Toad at the same time? If you only had it active in one copy of Toad, this is a bug. Please let me know if this was the case, and if so, what were you doing in Toad at the time. If you had it active in multiple copies of the same installation of Toad, this should be avoided (we have plans for next version of Toad so you can specify output file name and this won't be a problem) ---
**Author:** ![marc\_109](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@marc\_109](https://forums.toadworld.com/u/marc_109)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2020, 12:44pm UTC](https://forums.toadworld.com/t/file-in-use-error/51072/3 "2020-09-24T12:44:36Z")
Yes, I do have it set to file. I wanted to see if i can tune a certain db being very slow. I only have toad opened. (I also checked task manager to verify there is no headless process left over). I was writing a query and clicked ctrl -"." dot ---
**Author:** ![JohnDorlon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/quest/user_avatar/forums.toadworld.com/johndorlon/32/9997_2.png) [@JohnDorlon](https://forums.toadworld.com/u/JohnDorlon)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2020, 12:46pm UTC](https://forums.toadworld.com/t/file-in-use-error/51072/4 "2020-09-24T12:46:15Z")
Thanks. I've identified the problem. You will probably have better luck with Spool to Screen, until we get this fixed. ---
**Author:** ![marc\_109](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@marc\_109](https://forums.toadworld.com/u/marc_109)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2020, 12:47pm UTC](https://forums.toadworld.com/t/file-in-use-error/51072/5 "2020-09-24T12:47:39Z")
I just set it to screen and now toad went to the grey screen. I am not sure if this is related. FYI, this happens a few times per day. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/quest/original/2X/9/96a48f04186d667b0b581dce6a1f6c644e3e857c.png) restarted toad. I am back to work. ---
**Author:** ![JohnDorlon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/quest/user_avatar/forums.toadworld.com/johndorlon/32/9997_2.png) [@JohnDorlon](https://forums.toadworld.com/u/JohnDorlon)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2020, 12:51pm UTC](https://forums.toadworld.com/t/file-in-use-error/51072/6 "2020-09-24T12:51:40Z")
Hard to say. Sometimes one error begets another. The "not responding" may have been fallout of the "file in use", not sure. Let us know if you have any more problems. ---
**Author:** ![marc\_109](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@marc\_109](https://forums.toadworld.com/u/marc_109)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2020, 12:59pm UTC](https://forums.toadworld.com/t/file-in-use-error/51072/7 "2020-09-24T12:59:28Z")
Will do, do you want me to report when i see the grey screen, again? ---
**Author:** ![JohnDorlon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/quest/user_avatar/forums.toadworld.com/johndorlon/32/9997_2.png) [@JohnDorlon](https://forums.toadworld.com/u/JohnDorlon)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2020, 1:02pm UTC](https://forums.toadworld.com/t/file-in-use-error/51072/8 "2020-09-24T13:02:15Z")
Sure, and any additional info you can give about how I might be able to reproduce it will help. ---
**Author:** ![JohnDorlon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/quest/user_avatar/forums.toadworld.com/johndorlon/32/9997_2.png) [@JohnDorlon](https://forums.toadworld.com/u/JohnDorlon)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2020, 7:06pm UTC](https://forums.toadworld.com/t/file-in-use-error/51072/9 "2020-09-29T19:06:33Z")
The "File in use" problem is fixed in current beta. And you can specify the filename when you enable Spool SQL to File.