Running several AI windows at once — how one file gets silently overwritten
Summary in three lines
- Several AI windows can overwrite the same file, so only one window should ever do the tidying.
- One night the tidy window stopped on an operation-in-progress lock because another window was regenerating the same resume files. Earlier, 8 website copy edits had vanished with no warning at all.
- This time we compared file fingerprints in three places, the backup, the saved record and the live folder, and confirmed nothing was lost.
What we learned
- A conflict that throws an error is a gift. The dangerous one is when the later save quietly erases earlier edits.
- File size and date cannot prove two files match. Ask the AI to compare fingerprints and to show its evidence instead of saying no problem.
FAQ
Can this happen with only one AI window?
Yes. If the AI edits a file while you also edit it in Word or a spreadsheet, whoever saves last wins. Save before you switch.
What is a file fingerprint, and do I need to code?
It is a short code that represents the file content and changes completely if one character differs. Let the AI compute it and just read same or different.
This page is a summary BELLA AI wrote after reading the original. The full process and screenshots are in the original post.