Excel corrupts XLS documents on a Win2000 Server?

[Dasman]

I have 20+ Excel 2004 users working in OS 10.4.10 on MacMinis who are using a Windows 2000 server machine for a file server. About once a week, one of the users will report not being able to open a file they had previously saved. The error message is: "Unable to read file". I've dragged these files to a Mac, tried to open them there, same results. Have tried MacLink Plus to convert to another version of Excel and the convert takes place but the newly converted file has same error when opening. I can open the files in icExcel but that separates the worksheets into separate files. I can use Windows Excel 2003 to open with the same error message but Excel 2003 can "repair" the file, which leaves it somewhat readable but useless unless you print it and use the data to create a new Excel file. This is Excel version 11.3.5.
Anyone seen this? Or have ideas how to stop it from happening????

 

[Bob Greenblatt]

I have 20+ Excel 2004 users working in OS 10.4.10 on MacMinis who are using a
Windows 2000 server machine for a file server. About once a week, one of the
users will report not being able to open a file they had previously saved. The
error message is: "Unable to read file". I've dragged these files to a Mac,
tried to open them there, same results. Have tried MacLink Plus to convert to
another version of Excel and the convert takes place but the newly converted
file has same error when opening. I can open the files in icExcel but that
separates the worksheets into separate files. I can use Windows Excel 2003 to
open with the same error message but Excel 2003 can "repair" the file, which
leaves it somewhat readable but useless unless you print it and use the data
to create a new Excel file. This is Excel version 11.3.5.
Anyone seen this? Or have ideas how to stop it from happening????

I've seen things like this in the past. It is usually do to a "flakey"
server connection. The connection is dropped and then reestablished while
the file is being saved. The only suggestion I can make is to make sure
everything is updated to the latest version (your copy of Office is not). If
that doesn't help, then change the work habits to work locally on the files
and move them to the server for storage. This can be automated to make the
process painless (or invisible) to the users.

 

[Alan]

I have 20+ Excel 2004 users working in OS 10.4.10 on MacMinis who are using a Windows 2000 server machine for a file server. About once a week, one ofthe users will report not being able to open a file they had previously saved. The error message is: "Unable to read file". I've dragged these files toa Mac, tried to open them there, same results. Have tried MacLink Plus to convert to another version of Excel and the convert takes place but the newlyconverted file has same error when opening. I can open the files in icExcelbut that separates the worksheets into separate files. I can use Windows Excel 2003 to open with the same error message but Excel 2003 can "repair" thefile, which leaves it somewhat readable but useless unless you print it anduse the data to create a new Excel file. This is Excel version 11.3.5.
Anyone seen this? Or have ideas how to stop it from happening????

Maybe you can try a popular Excel file recovery tool called Advanced
Excel Repair to repair your Excel file. It is a powerful tool to
repair corrupt or damaged Excel files.

Detailed information about Advanced Excel Repair can be found at
http://www.datanumen.com/aer/

And you can also download a free demo version at http://www.datanumen.com/aer/aer.exe

Alan

 

[Steve Rea]

On 2/20/08 8:57 AM, in article (e-mail address removed)9absDaxw,

: If
that doesn't help, then change the work habits to work locally on the files
and move them to the server for storage. This can be automated to make the
process painless (or invisible) to the users.

HOW can this be automated and invisible to the user????

Click a file on a server and somehow, something tells it to move it to the local desktop and open, then when the files is saved, somehow, sothing tells it to move it back, and replace the one on the server????

The whole point of a central file server is that anyone and every can have access to the files any time the need too!!