# My family tree is locked

**URL:** <https://gramps.discourse.group/t/my-family-tree-is-locked/3671>\
**Category:** Help\
**Tags:** data-recovery\
**Created:** [May 27, 2023, 10:54pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/my-family-tree-is-locked/3671 "2023-05-27T22:54:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 2

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**Author:** ![emyoulation](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/gramps.discourse.group/emyoulation/32/67_2.png) [@emyoulation](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/emyoulation)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2023, 12:06am UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/my-family-tree-is-locked/3671/2 "2023-05-28T00:06:00Z")

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This indicates your system had an abnormal exit. (A crash or system shutdown without closing Gramps.)

 ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/gramps/original/2X/2/23086f6d5978532e2d48a1dcb8af3b3a812105aa.png)  
In the Manage Family Tree dialog, there should be a padlock in the Status column of the row with your Tree name.

Double-clicking the row should bring up a dialog with a Break Lock button. Use that to remove the lock.

The Load Family Tree button should no longer be ghosted. Load the tree normally, [make a backup](https://gramps-project.org/wiki/index.php/How_to_make_a_backup) immediately, shutdown Gramps normally and restart it.

This process can be found in the wiki in the **Manage Family Trees** page section labeled [Unlocking a Family Tree](https://www.gramps-project.org/wiki/index.php/Gramps_5.1_Wiki_Manual_-_Manage_Family_Trees#Unlocking_a_Family_Tree)

The lock CAN be removed from outside the program manually if absolutely necessary. But it should never be necessary.

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_[View the full topic](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/my-family-tree-is-locked/3671)._