David,

> > >I have had the same message nad would like to know why. WIll it
> > >happen when someone tries to copy the db while the gdb file is in
> > >use?
> >
> > Yes, possibly, because it will lock the sector of the disk it is
> > currently copying.
>
> Surely, this is a Windows thing?

AFAIK it's simply not true.
It is possible to open a file while denying other processes to read from
it, which will make it impossible to copy it while it is open, but it's
not the case with gdb files (yet?).
So, a copy is always possible; whether it will be pure trash if another
process is writing to your source is another well discussed issue.
I never heard about "disk sector locking" but there are many things I
have never heard about. ;-)

> One of the consequences of the Unix way of doing file locking is that
> system maintenance tasks, such as backup, are often a good deal
> easier. For instance, a log file could be moved to a backup directory
> by one process while another is busy writing to it. Try that in
> Windows. :-) Or a temporary file can be deleted ("unlinked") by one
> process while that process or another process still has it open for
> reading or writing. That's something else you won't have much luck
> trying to do in Windows...

I have never had the need (nor the wish) to make a copy of a
work-in-progress, but if I ever have such urge, I'll remember that I
should use a Linux system to allow me to do it. ;-)

> Of course, as far as backup is concerned, certain types of files, such
> as database files, can't be usefully backed up while the associated
> application (InterBase server, for instance) is active.

or at least while it is accessing the file for writing.
Ciao
--
____
_/\/ando