asked on 7/26/2016

Excel 2010: Default actions and message boxes depending on whether file is in use.

I would like to use VBA code to do the following when a spreadsheet is opened:

If the file is already in use by someone else, have a messagebox pop up and say something like" User nnnnn is using this file right now, and you must wait until it is not in use to enter your information." Then when the user clicks "OK" Excel would close. The user WOULD NOT get the normal message about the file being in use and asking whether or not they want to open it read-only or be notified when it is available.
If the file is NOT already in use, just have a messagebox that says to make the desired data entry and save and close the file, as others need to input information also.

Can this be done?

Microsoft Excel

Last Comment

Roy Cox

8/11/2016

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Roy Cox

7/26/2016

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Kevin

7/26/2016

ASKER

Thank you for the help. The first part worked fine and gave the "please close when finished" message. But when I opened the file on a second computer, I still get the standard dialog box

which still allows the second user to open the file. We want to prevent two people from being in the file at the same time.

Any ideas whether or not the standard Excel dialog box above can be bypassed?

Subodh Tiwari (Neeraj)

7/26/2016

What about this?

Private Sub Workbook_Open()
Application.DisplayAlerts = False
If ThisWorkbook.ReadOnly Then
   MsgBox "The file is already open. Try again later...", vbInformation
   ThisWorkbook.Close False
End If
Application.DisplayAlerts = True
End Sub

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Kevin

7/26/2016

ASKER

Neeraj,

That doesn't work either. It seems like maybe the DisplayAlerts flag only works after the file is opened. And that happens after the default opening Excel message...

Subodh Tiwari (Neeraj)

7/26/2016

I tested the code and it works at my end.

Make sure Application.EnableEvents is set to True
In Immediate window type ?Application.EnableEvents and press Enter, you should get True

Edit: I think you already told that the first part worked for you that means Application.EnableEvents is set to True otherwise the workbook open event wouldn't have been triggered.

Kevin

7/26/2016

ASKER

Enable Events is true. I am testing with two PCs on my network. I open the file and get the normal message that says to quickly enter data and close.

While the file is open, I use another PC on the network to open the file. But I still get the default message about opening the file that is use by another user BEFORE it opens and I get my VBA code to execute.

I am not sure why it is working for you but not for me...

Subodh Tiwari (Neeraj)

7/26/2016

Yeah that is surprising me as well.

SOLUTION

Roy Cox

7/26/2016

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Kevin

7/26/2016

ASKER

Thanks Roy. I just recently saw how to allow "Share Workbook" from the Review tab on the ribbon. So I set it to share that way so that they macro could tell who else had the file open, even if it was to only close the file afterwards. The problem with that, is that even if I am the First and Only person to open the file that way, it thinks that it is in a "shared state" (i.e. open somewhere else) and will then close...

Roy Cox

7/27/2016

As I said sharing files is a pain and should be avoided. Is there no other way you can collect the data?

Kevin

8/10/2016

ASKER

Thank you both. The first solution actually seems to give me what I need and the second was extra helpful as well.

Roy Cox

8/11/2016

Pleased to help