Excel don't show the editing users of the file on the network

**LookStop** · 10-14-2010, 06:27 AM

Hello,
I have a excel file on the network. Multiple users access this file. I’ve configured all the Excel with the data to users who use it. My problem is that I don’t know who is using the Excel file.
When I open the “Excel File” and other person is using the file, you can see:

File In Use
The file is locked for editing
“another user”

Not display the name of the user who is using the file.

You know I can do to show the “user name” or “computer name”?

Thanks!

**BlastRanger** · 10-14-2010, 06:51 AM

I think you can try change the name of the username in excel of each computer.

Office 2003 :
Tools | Option | General, Change the username to the name you want to identify that IF user of this computer access the file.

I don't know if that help, tell me if it is

**LookStop** · 10-14-2010, 10:26 AM

I changed the name of each computer excel. I looked in the Windows Registry, but I see nothing. The Excel that we have installed is version 2007.

I don’t find the solution.

**BlastRanger** · 10-15-2010, 01:56 AM

in excel 2007, go to button in top left corner | Excel Options | Popular | Personalize you copy of office username change it to what you want to identify for this excel on this machine (change every machine with unique name)

have you try this instead?

**LookStop** · 10-15-2010, 02:47 AM

Hello,

I customize Excel as you say but It doesn’t work correctly.

In our network there are 200 computers. Perhaps there is some Excel that isn’t customized.

Do you think this is the problem?

**noexcel=badwork** · 10-15-2010, 02:56 AM

the problem not in the excel, it's in the network itself
try share another file of a differnet type like work file
it will show you the same message
contact your network administrator, he will solve
the problem for you
thanks

**LookStop** · 10-15-2010, 06:04 AM

Hello,

"noexcel-badwork" thanks for the info. I have spoken with the network administrator. He told me that recently have upgraded to Windows Server 2008.

Surely, he has to activate some option so that when you share files, display the names of those who use them.

He has told me that he doesn’t know which option will be activated.

We’ll try to find a solution.

Do you know which option should be modified?

Thanks!

**noexcel=badwork** · 10-15-2010, 06:46 AM

sorry LookStop
I've no experience in servers
I'll ask one of my colleagues who deals
with servers, but please check if the problem
is with all users connected to the network
or it is with some users only.
hopefully you will solve the problem soon

**BlastRanger** · 10-15-2010, 07:02 AM

One possible cause -
You got :
File In Use
The file is locked for editing
“another user”

That's not always means that the file is really under editing. Although all the user already closed that file on their machine, but NETWORK still under sharing with those user that open the file before. This could be cause by :
Excel create a temporary file each time the main file is opened (YEP, the one you see when you open an excel file is just a TEMP, not the actual), when you save the edited file, excel delete the main file and put the TEMP file so that it become the main file.

Problem happens when the main file is not stored in local computer. For example stored in Server. The logic is the same that when a network user access the server, the server OS respond to the client as being opened, so other user can't open it. The client that first access to that file now has the TEMP in it's machine. and that client machine is not very stable for example sometimes they got hang or system crash that sometimes force the excel to close without respond to the main file that the TEMP is closed. So although client is not open that file, server still has history that this client still accessing the file (but it is not).

That why when another user want to access to that file got :
File In Use
The file is locked for editing
“another user”

WHY it is "another user" shown there? it is because excel COULDN'T determine who opens the file as the client excel that last open the file is already closed (this cause excel couldn't read the username of excel option in that machine)

Restart the SERVER could be able to refresh the situation I guess

**LookStop** · 10-15-2010, 08:40 AM

Hello,

That was the problem, blastranger.

There was a permissions problem on the server. When users closed the excel files, temporary files were not deleted. I fixed permissions again and I deleted all temporary files. Now it works correctly. When a users closes a excel file, it automatically deletes the temporary file. Now if it shows who is using the files.

Thank you very much everybody.