Can the personal.xls file be shared by two or more users?

[ivanfloyd]

I would like to set up a personal.xls file that can be shared between two or
more people. This would need to be in a common or shared directory that all
users would have access to execute, modify and add to. The purpose is that
in our workgroup everyone backs up everyone else.

 

[Dave Peterson]

Saved from a previous post:

First, I wouldn't share a workbook named personal.xls. Since excel can only
have one file open with that name, the user would have to make a decision to
either use his/her personal.xls or your version of personal.xls.

In fact, I would save the file as an addin (*.xla). And then store that addin
in a network share. I'd also use the UNC path (\\servername\path\BevsUtils.xla)
instead of using a mapped drive.

But since macros in an addin aren't visible via tools|macro|macros..., you'd
have to give the user some way of accessing those subroutines.

For additions to the worksheet menu bar, I really like the way John Walkenbach
does it in his menumaker workbook:
http://j-walk.com/ss/excel/tips/tip53.htm

Here's how I do it when I want a toolbar:
http://www.contextures.com/xlToolbar02.html
(from Debra Dalgleish's site)

========
An alternative if you want to keep the file a normal workbook. Put that *.xls
file on the network drive.

But then put a shortcut to that file in XLStart.

 

[Gord Dibben]

I would save the Personal.xls macro file as an Add-in(*.xla) and have the users
point to that file in its common folder when loading it through Tools>Add-ins.

When saving as an add-in change the name to something like Group_Macros

Store it in the common Office\Library folder and it will be available for all to
load, use and edit if necessary.

Note: editing must be done through the Visual Basic Editor.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP