# Unable to start due to locked files

**URL:** <https://community.neo4j.com/t/unable-to-start-due-to-locked-files/67085>\
**Category:** Neo4j Graph Platform\
**Created:** [March 28, 2024, 7:56pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/unable-to-start-due-to-locked-files/67085 "2024-03-28T19:56:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![S-K-23](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/user_avatar/community.neo4j.com/s-k-23/32/31240_2.png) [@S-K-23](https://community.neo4j.com/u/S-K-23)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2024, 7:56pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/unable-to-start-due-to-locked-files/67085/1 "2024-03-28T19:56:39Z")

</div>

I am using neo4j community version 5.18.1 in the linux terminal. When I start a session using the "neo4j start" command, it takes ~5-10 seconds to return an error  
"Neo4j web server failed to start. See log for more info.  
Unable to start. See user log for details."  
When I check the neo4j/log file, it suggests that a lock file has been locked by another process, even though no other sessions are running.  
Any help would be appreciated.

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/uploads/neo4jcommunity/original/3X/3/5/35003edbd01f4ad73f60440c3bfb08ec046ef5c3.png)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dana\_canzano](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/user_avatar/community.neo4j.com/dana_canzano/32/27392_2.png) [@dana\_canzano](https://community.neo4j.com/u/dana_canzano)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2024, 8:31pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/unable-to-start-due-to-locked-files/67085/2 "2024-03-28T20:31:26Z")

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@S-K-23

linux command

```auto
lsof | grep < filename>

```

will give you the processID holding the lock ( providing you replace with the actual file name.

and then

```auto
ps -eaf | grep <pid>

```

can give you more details of the process