Lock an item

When you need to be the only user able to edit and commit changes to an item, you can lock it.

Examples of such situations are when you are working on files whose changes cannot be merged, such as graphics or binary files. Until you release the lock, other users will be blocked from committing their changes to that item.

In the Solution Explorer, right-click a file and select Subversion > Lock.
In the Select Files to Lock window, enter your reason for locking the file.
Click OK.
To seize a lock set by some other user, use the Steal Locks option.

When the operation completes, you will see a "lock" icon next to the item in the Solution Explorer.

Note: When you commit your changes to a locked item, the lock is released. If you want to retain the lock, select the Keep locks option while committing it.