Excel saving files

[Bosco]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel I have just moved to Mac from PC. I get an error message when saving an excel spreadsheet that was created on a PC with an earlier version of office saying that excel cannot access the file for several reasons....file name doesn't exist (it does); file is being used by another program (it isn't) or the name of the workbook that I'm trying to save is the same as the name of another document that is read-only (it isn't). At the same time extra files are being generated such as AB0000C some of which I am unable to delete because I am being told that they are in use (they are not). Any suggestions out there?

 

[John McGhie]

Since you don't specify your update levels, start with the basics:

1- Make sure Office is fully updated to 12.2.4
2- Make sure OS X is fully updated to 10.6.3
3- Start Disk Utility and run Repair Disk Permissions
4- Shut down your Mac until the power goes off, then restart. This runs the
system clean-up tasks.

Confirming all of that it will make it possible to determine how to approach
the problem. Until that's all done it's pointless to chase symptoms.

Come back after that and we can help you track this down: the "system"
thinks that one of the files involved IS in use, and that may simply be a
user permissions problem.

Cheers

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel
I have just moved to Mac from PC. I get an error message when saving an excel
spreadsheet that was created on a PC with an earlier version of office saying
that excel cannot access the file for several reasons....file name doesn't
exist (it does); file is being used by another program (it isn't) or the name
of the workbook that I'm trying to save is the same as the name of another
document that is read-only (it isn't). At the same time extra files are being
generated such as AB0000C some of which I am unable to delete because I am
being told that they are in use (they are not). Any suggestions out there?

--

The email below is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless I ask you to; or unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410 | mailto:[email protected]

 

[alain.tritschler]

Hi,
have you had any chance to progress on this? I'm currently running into a very similar issue (except that it's not only with "old" PC excel files, but also with new ones created in office 2008).
I'm running Office 12.2.0 (I don't know why, Office seems not to want to install the upgrades).
Mac OS W 10.6.3 all updates OK.
Only happens with Excel, and saving files on the network (samba share, no problem with word docs as I said, and no problem with about 20 connected PCs).
Any clue of what I could have to look at?

 

[alain.tritschler]

Some update since I finally could update office (manually from MS web site) => no change; still the same excel saving problem.
I really am out of ideas ...

 

[alain.tritschler]

Hi,
I figured out how to fix the problem in my configuration. As I said, not fixed by MS updates. The problem seems in Excel's expectations of the permissions to create the temporary file (the famous AB0000C file), which is first created when saving a file.

This is all very well explained at the following location: http://altekiet.blogspot.com/2009/09/problem-microsoft-excel-2008-on-mac-os.html

I hope this will also fix your problem !

Alain

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Alain:

I seem to remember there is a documented restriction that Microsoft Office
2008 should not be used with a ZFS file system. I can't put my hand on it.

But "yes", generally in Microsoft Office, the user requires Read, Write, and
Remove permissions to correctly save a file, because a "save" is actually a
write, rename, rename, remove, four consecutive operations.

Hope this helps

Hi,
I figured out how to fix the problem in my configuration. As I said, not fixed
by MS updates. The problem seems in Excel's expectations of the permissions to
create the temporary file (the famous AB0000C file), which is first created
when saving a file.

This is all very well explained at the following location:
http://altekiet.blogspot.com/2009/09/problem-microsoft-excel-2008-on-mac-os.ht
ml

I hope this will also fix your problem !

Alain

--

The email below is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless I ask you to; or unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410 | mailto:[email protected]

 

[Bosco]

Thanks for all this information. I will have a word with my IT guy and get his help on the various configuration issues on our server and keep you all updated whether this solves my problem
Peter