Tfs workspace issues files being locked - the item .. is locked in workspace

Question

Why can the same account not checkout files in the same branch but in different Workspaces? TFS2010 and also TFS2013.

I have a number of Build Definitions and when I build one after the other I get an error when attempting to checkout all files in a directory with

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0\Common7\IDE\tf.exe" checkout /lock:none /recursive /noprompt C:\Builds\75159\Scrum2012\2013_Developer\src\Testing\Internal

Here's the error:

Unable to perform operation on $/Scrum2012/src/Testing/Internal/Bin/Base.dll. The item $/Scrum2012/src/Testing/Internal/Bin/Base.dll is locked in workspace 10_75159_build2013;Account Service (ourtfs).

These files may already have been checked out with another Build Definition but by the same user on the same machine, so I do not understand what the issue is.

If I just stick to building with the same Build Definition it works just fine.

Why can the same account not checkout files in the same branch but in different Workspaces?

TFS reports 3 Workspaces on the same machine all with the same Account: Workspace Owner Computer Comment

---

10_75159_build2013 Account Service (ourtfs) BUILD2013 Workspace Created by T 4_75159_build2013 Account Service (ourtfs) BUILD2013 Workspace Created by T BUILD2013_5_75159 Account Service (ourtfs) BUILD2013 Workspace created by T

Answer 1

For server workspaces, if you are able to check out a given file multiple times depends on the "multiple checkout" settings; https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms252452(v=vs.100).aspx. Since dll's don't merge that well, the default is disabled. But if you want you can change that for your filetypes to allow this.

Or (for personal development) you could switch to local workspaces, in which multiple checkout is by default.