Excel in OS X

[Jacob]

We have a problem when using SMB to connect our file servers (NT & 2003)
and it has forced us to switch back to AppleTalk. As
one step of production, our Mac folks need to make Excel exhibits linked
to one or more Excel files (.dat) as the data sources. Clicking on
"update link" or
"change link" on the Excel menu brings up the files being greyed out so
the re-linking can't be done, even after the .dat files have been
associated with Excel on the macs. Another problem with SMB is that a
file opened on a mac can't be accessed by another mac or pc, not even as
"read-only." AppleTalk solves all these problems despite its frequent 33
and 12061 errors.

Many many thanks!

Jacob

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi Jacob,

It might be worth the effort to spend a few minutes troubleshooting your
Windows servers so that you can use SMB. Usually the server problems are
the result of mis-spelled names, forgetting to add someone to the domain,
etc.

The reason I suggest getting SMB to work is that Excel can share workbooks
using the Share Workbook feature on the Excel Tools menu. Workbooks can be
shared on a mounted windows volume and both Mac and Windows users can share
the same workbook at the same time.

The only ".dat" files I know about are the ones created by Microsoft Outlook
and sent as email attachments. You seem to be referring to some other type
of ".dat" file.

In any event, in order to link to any file, you have to have a direct
connection to the file. So if the source file is on a server then you need a
network path to the file in order for the link to work.

-Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

All responses should be made to this newsgroup within the same thread.
Thanks.

About Microsoft MVPs:
http://www.mvps.org/

Before posting a "new" topic please be sure to search Google Groups to see
if your question has already been answered.

 

[Jacob]

Thanks, Jim. Please allow me to ask more questions.

Jim Gordon MVP ??:

It might be worth the effort to spend a few minutes troubleshooting your
Windows servers so that you can use SMB. Usually the server problems are
the result of mis-spelled names, forgetting to add someone to the domain,
etc.

Could you be more specific? It is just a 2k3 servide for file sharing
within the NT domain. The Mac users "can" connect through SMB. They just
have this problem with Excel.

The reason I suggest getting SMB to work is that Excel can share workbooks
using the Share Workbook feature on the Excel Tools menu.

So I checked the "allow other users to open" and it works, but where is
that old feature that other users can open as read-only?

The only ".dat" files I know about are the ones created by Microsoft Outlook
and sent as email attachments. You seem to be referring to some other type
of ".dat" file.

You are right. ".dat" files generated by statistical packages like SAS.

In any event, in order to link to any file, you have to have a direct
connection to the file. So if the source file is on a server then you need a
network path to the file in order for the link to work.

Our traditional way: Excel exhibits were created with "lookup" function
to retrieve data from the .dat files. (All the exhibits and .dat files
are on the same server.) When necessary to add or change link sources,
the mac users would go links--change source and then pick the right path
leading to the .dat or .xls source, highlight it, and click on "ok". It
works fine with AppleTalk, but with either AFP or SMB, the list of
source files are greyed out so that they can't be hightlighted. Were you
saying this method of updating link doesn't work with the two protocols?

Thanks for your time.

Jacob

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi Jacob,

Look below. I've answered the questions in the text below.

-Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

All responses should be made to this newsgroup within the same thread.
Thanks.

About Microsoft MVPs:
http://www.mvps.org/

Before posting a "new" topic please be sure to search Google Groups to see
if your question has already been answered.


----------

Thanks, Jim. Please allow me to ask more questions.

Jim Gordon MVP ??:

Could you be more specific? It is just a 2k3 servide for file sharing
within the NT domain. The Mac users "can" connect through SMB. They just
have this problem with Excel.

So I checked the "allow other users to open" and it works, but where is
that old feature that other users can open as read-only?

There are two ways that users can get the "read-only" message. One way is
when the workbook is open by another user. The second user is prompted to
open "read-only" and offered to be notified when the first user has closed
the file. This is not good in a cross-platform environment. Windows OS and
Mac OS don't talk to each other well enough to know when the file is already
open. File corruption can result if you attempt this.

The second way a user can be prompted for "read-only" is to check that
option when saving a file. It becomes available when you click the Options
button in the Save As dialog box before you click Save.

Excel is the only application that I know of that properly handles the
situation when both Mac and Windows users want to share the same workbook
and it is on a directory shared by both Mac and Windows users. So in your
case you should turn file sharing on in the Excel Tools menu. After that use
the Save As dialog box to enable the "read-only" option (a password is
optional).

You are right. ".dat" files generated by statistical packages like SAS.

Our traditional way: Excel exhibits were created with "lookup" function
to retrieve data from the .dat files. (All the exhibits and .dat files
are on the same server.) When necessary to add or change link sources,
the mac users would go links--change source and then pick the right path
leading to the .dat or .xls source, highlight it, and click on "ok". It
works fine with AppleTalk, but with either AFP or SMB, the list of
source files are greyed out so that they can't be hightlighted. Were you
saying this method of updating link doesn't work with the two protocols?

I don't know for sure, but if the dialog box leading to the source file has
the option, change the type of file to "all files." The source files may
still be grayed out but you can at least select them and use them.

Thanks for your time.

You're welcome!