SharePoint File Checkout

Owned by Former user (Deleted)
Last updated: Oct 10, 2019 by Scott Henry
2 min read

One of SharePoint's features is the ability to "check out" a file in order to prevent other people from editing a document simultaneously. This can be useful, but can also cause problems if someone forgets to check the document back in.


Versioning

Note that when checking in, there are two options:

  • Minor version (1.x) - an incremental draft update to a document
  • Major version (x.0) - a whole number with .0 suffix which is considered the latest published version

User permission affect whether a published or drafted version will appear current, so for a final version of an item, make sure to use a Major version check-in!


Steps:

To Check-Out a File

  1. Navigate to the file's location in SharePoint.

  2. Select the file that you wish to check-out.

  3. In the toolbar near the top of the page, select the "Check Out" link.

To Check-In a File

  1. Navigate to the file's location in SharePoint.

  2. Select the file that you wish to check-in.

  3. In the toolbar near the top of the page, select the "Check In" link.
  4. Fill out the presented form with a summary of the changes to the file and submit it.