Alert warning "file already exists" when overwriting a file

[Limor_OP]

Hi,
Don't know if my question is fit for this forum, but I will appreciate it if anyone could help me to figure how to enable the alert message in subject.

I got office 10 on my laptop and I almost overridden a file and a folder unknowingly as there was no alert prompted.

Thanks.

[newdoverman]

I don't know if you are an experienced user or not so I will try and help you as if you are just starting out.

Try this as a test. Open excel and create a file and save it giving the file a name but don't close it. Now, make some changes to the file and SAVE the file without changing the name but don't close it. You shouldn't get a warning as you are just saving the same file with edits. Now, click on SAVE AS and don't change the name then click SAVE. You should now get a warning message about over-writing the file.

If you don't get a warning after using SAVE but get one after using SAVE AS, this is normal behaviour. If you don't get the warning message after the SAVE AS not having changed the name, then something is wrong. I would try a repair of Microsoft Office. This is done in the Control Panel. Find Office in Programs and Features (the list of installed programs was called something different in early versions of Windows) click on CHANGE. A dialogue will appear. Select REPAIR.

If that doesn't fix the problem, I would try uninstalling Microsoft Office and then re-installing it.

[ELeGault]

Before you go and do a Repair/Re-Install let me ask you...

Do you write/use VBA/Macros? Are you utilizing other peoples codes in your workbook(s)...?
I ask because it may be that someone set application alerts to off (False) and never turned them back on and you saved under these settings.
(I cannot say for certain that you can save this setting in the off position or FALSE but I do know that by setting them to false you will not get that prompt)
I utilize this when saving a copy to a shared location and I overwrite the file. It is automated so it has to be ignored when no one is at the PC to say yes overwrite...

Enter this in VBA

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Good luck!

[Limor_OP]

Hi,
Thanks for your answers.
ELeGault - for your question - I'm not using VBA. I got a new laptop from my new job, and I'm not used to Office10. I used to have office 7 until now.
I was also bothered that there was no alert when I tried to delete a file asking me "are you sure you want to delete this file?" but I managed to fix that.

newdoverman - thanks. The test you instructed me for has worked, now my mind is settled as for the overwriting of files, but I have also noticed that when I have same folder name in different locations (for example: sub-folder "Belinda" under main folder named "music" and another folder with same name "Belinda" under a main folder named "movies" (each Belinda folder contains different content) - when I try to paste the first Belinda folder from the music to movies folder - I don't get any alert that the name already exists and instead it merges all files under one folder.

Do you happen to know how to get the application "scream" when I try to make such action?

Thanks again!

[newdoverman]

Even though the folders have the same name the content should be different as one is music and the other is movies. The extensions should be much different. Two files with the same name but different extensions have different names. (You can view extensions can't you) If you don't see the extensions for the file names, go to Windows Explorer, Tools, Folder Options, View, uncheck Hide Extensions for Known File Types.

[Limor_OP]

what if I would like to keep the folders separate within the movies folder? What office does is maintaining one folder ("Belinda") in the 'Movies' location and throws inside the content of both folders.

I would like office to prompt an alert that folder name already exists and allow me to change the name of the folder pasted to keep it as a stand-alone folder.

[newdoverman]

You would have to give each folder at least a slightly different name. You can't have two folders with the same name under the same folder.

[Limor_OP]

I see. Thanks for the clarification.

[newdoverman]

I suggest that under the folder called Belinda you have a folder called Movies and another folder called Music.