File in Use - filename.xls is locked for editing by ' '.

[Guest Barkley Bees]

Here's a bit of an odd one. We have a report from one group of users about

an issue they are having with opening files in a particular directory on one

of our file servers (Windows Server 2003 SP1 in 2003 Domain).

 

When the user (client is Windows xP SP2, Office 2003) attempts to open an

excel file in this directory that is opened by another user, they get the

usual "File in Use" prompt (with - Read Only, Notify and Cancel as options).

Usually in such a situation it will say "Filename.xls is locked for editing

by 'username'." but for some reaon the username variable does not appear

here only empty single quotes (by ' '.).

 

I realize this may be somewhat obscure but has anyone seen similar behaviour

in the past and found the cause? Appreciate any feedback.

 

*note, I attempted the following:

 

- access said file from a fresh test machine and experienced the same

result.

- created a new excel worksheet in this directory and opened it on a client

system. Then attempted to open it from the test machine. The username that

had the file open did appear correctly in this case.

[Guest AltaEgo]

Re: File in Use - filename.xls is locked for editing by ' '.

 

I had a similar problem with Excel 2003 running on Vista and only after we

switched to Vista. Strangely, the username locking the file I was trying to

open was sometimes reported to be me!!! This problem occurred sporadically

in shared drives only (i.e. no reports of locking in my personal drive).

Logging on at another machine or having an alternate user try to access the

file produced the same type of response.

 

I never did resolve the issue but found it usually went away after logging

off at night and back on the following day (but not always when logging

off/on the same day). I initially suspected a LAN problem but ruled it out

because it was limited to Excel workbooks and not other MS Office document

types but, have no concrete reason to rule LAN either in or out.

 

--

Steve

 

"Barkley Bees" <barkbees@nomail.com> wrote in message

news:O6mn5eZAJHA.5900@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

> Here's a bit of an odd one. We have a report from one group of users about

> an issue they are having with opening files in a particular directory on

> one of our file servers (Windows Server 2003 SP1 in 2003 Domain).

>

> When the user (client is Windows xP SP2, Office 2003) attempts to open an

> excel file in this directory that is opened by another user, they get the

> usual "File in Use" prompt (with - Read Only, Notify and Cancel as

> options). Usually in such a situation it will say "Filename.xls is locked

> for editing by 'username'." but for some reaon the username variable does

> not appear here only empty single quotes (by ' '.).

>

> I realize this may be somewhat obscure but has anyone seen similar

> behaviour in the past and found the cause? Appreciate any feedback.

>

> *note, I attempted the following:

>

> - access said file from a fresh test machine and experienced the same

> result.

> - created a new excel worksheet in this directory and opened it on a

> client system. Then attempted to open it from the test machine. The

> username that had the file open did appear correctly in this case.

>

>