Excel Files Cannot be accessed

[CarolynT]

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

Hi,
I have a problem accessing Excel files on a shared Windows server that started some time last week. The computer is a brand new MacMini with the most recent version of Leopard. We use Excel workforms that contain many checkboxes, so are forced to continue to use Excel 2004, although we do have Word, PowerPoint and Entourage from Office 2008 installed. Everything was working fine until all of a sudden none of the Excel files on the server will open. The message is "xxx.xls cannot be accessed. The file may be read-only, or you may be trying to access a read-only location. Or, the server the document is stored on may not be responding." The files open normally on other Macs connected to the same server, and other files types, such as word files and pdf files open normally from the same locations as the Excel files. The Excel files can be dragged from the server and copied onto the MacMini desktop and will open fine there. The changed file can be dragged back to the server and will overwrite the existing file, however, still cannot be directly opened from the server using the MacMini. While this serves as a temporary solution, it is not what we prefer.

I have run permissions repair, have uninstalled and reinstalled Excel 2004, have tested 3 of the 5 users that were set-up when the problem started, and created a new temporary user all with exactly the same problem after my attempts.

If anyone has any idea as to why this might be happening and more importantly, what I might do to correct the problem, I would appreciate the help.

 

[CarolynT]

As often happens when a question is posted, the person posting solves their own problem. For the benefit of others, what happened was that one of the users renamed the MacMini hard drive to very nearly match that of the file server. The only difference was in the capitalization of one letter of the name. When I renamed the MacMini hard drive the problem immediately went away. Apparently Excel is more sensitive to the hard drive and server names than other Office programs!

 

[Jimb0]

Carolyn.

Awesome tip. I just renamed a local hard drive where I was having the same issue and that resolved the issue. Nice catch.

Jimbo

 

[doncarver]

I just changed my local "Macintosh HD" name, and it began to work. Certainly MS should fix this problem, since most all Macs have a drive named "Macintosh HD"...ie, this renaming doesn't seem to be an acceptable workaround to me. Especially since my shared file isn't even stored on the "Macintosh HD" on the server...it's stored on one of the server's other drives.