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Excel cannot Save As - Changed by another user

I have a user with Windows XP Pro and Excel 2007. Whenever she opens a spreadsheet, makes some changes, she tries to do a Save As and save overtop of the previous/existing file. She receives an error '<filname>.xls may have been changed by another user since you last saved it. In that case, what do you want to do? ' and prompts to Save a Copy or Overwrite changes.

I am positive no other user is changing the file when this occurs. It is only happening for the 1 user, no one else is experiencing this. If she just does a File > Save, it saves without error.

What could be causing this error and how do I fix it?

Jeffrey Coachman

Is the file in question on a network/shared drive?
Is the user set up to have some sort of "caching" in place (temp files, ...etc)

We had issues like this because the file was being "cached" in some way...

Also, does this happen with all files the user tries to save?

jlarger

ASKER

It is in a directory on a mapped network drive/share. There is no caching going on that I am aware of. It happens with all of the excel files, at least in that particular directory, which is where she primarily works out of. I have not had a chance to test and see if it does it with local files as well, should be able to check that later tonight.

Jeffrey Coachman

If another user works out of that mapped network drive/share, does the same thing happen?

jlarger

ASKER

Many others work with the same directory and files, and same version of office without issue

Jeffrey Coachman

Try creating another profile on the same machine...

If you are using "images", is it a big deal to simply reload this users computer?

jlarger

ASKER

Re-imaging is not an option.

It does not do it with local directories, apparently it is only with network directories (as well as redirected directories)

I did not create a new user profile, however I tried it with my profile instead and it does the same thing.

Using either of the profiles on a different machine there is no issue. So, doesn't appear to be a profile thing.

Jeffrey Coachman

So it's an issue specif to the machine then...

Does this machine have all the service pack for Office and Windows, up to date?

Is it a option to uninstall, then re-install Office?

jlarger

ASKER

It should more or less be up to date, I will verify tomorrow.

Re-installing is certainly an option, but I would prefer not to do that unless I have to.

Any more suggestions before I resort to re-installing? (Of course I will verify the updates are there, but that seems unlikely to be the issue(

Rob Henson

With fear of stating the obvious, if the user is doing a Save As and using the same filename, why doesn't she just do a Save which you say is working???

Is the file a Shared File?

Not sure how Shared file work (or not if you read other threads on here!) so wouldn't like to comment. I assume doing a Save As is doing a replace which would potentially overwrite other users changes whereas doing a Save would include this users changes with the Changes done by all users.

Thanks
Rob H

jlarger

ASKER

Sorry for the absence.

The user does a Save As because she wants to be sure of where she is saving the file... Just doing a Save in my opinion is an acceptable 'workaround' but she does not agree.

This is not a shared file

I will hold off another day or so before reinstalling office in case anyone has additional suggestions.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Jeffrey Coachman

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Ingeborg Hawighorst (Microsoft MVP / EE MVE)

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