Word display a strange message while we opena file for the first time

[pierrot10]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel Dear all,
I have some iMac and user use it to be logged on a server. Network account are created on the server. Also their Home folder and documents are on the server.

When user opens a file (i think mainly the docx) their get that error message:

"file" is being used by "another user". Do you want to make a copy?

We are all sure that no other user is reading or writing on that file. And this happen only when he/she open it for the first time. If he/she close it and immediately reopen it, the error message is not displayed.

Are you an idea about it?

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Pierrot:

Yes, we ALL know about this bug with Office 2004 and Office 2008.

The bottom line is: "This will happen sometimes" and all we can suggest is
to keep applying the updates to both OS X and Microsoft Office as they come
out, and hope that the bug will be fixed eventually. Although it hasn't
been for the past ten years or so...

There are some things you could play around with:

1) The Unix ID of the logged in user must be unique. By default, Mac OS X
sets it to 501. If you use server authentication, (e.g. Active Directory)
each user will be given a unique UID and the bug will happen less often.

2) The user needs Read/Write/Remove access to the volume Temp folder, which
is normally created at the root of the volume. If the user does not have
that, you will get these errors.

But really, the only thing we can say is that it's a bug, and we don't know
either the cause or a perfect solution.

Hope this helps

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel
Dear all,
I have some iMac and user use it to be logged on a server. Network account are
created on the server. Also their Home folder and documents are on the server.

When user opens a file (i think mainly the docx) their get that error message:

"file" is being used by "another user". Do you want to make a copy?

We are all sure that no other user is reading or writing on that file. And
this happen only when he/she open it for the first time. If he/she close it
and immediately reopen it, the error message is not displayed.

Are you an idea about it?

--

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
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[pierrot10]

Dear John,
Many thank for you clear answer. Now I know and I will wait for the next update

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi John;

Wasn't there also something about connecting with AFP rather than SMB... Or
am I confused as usual? Networking just ain't my gig anymore :-}

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Bob:

There was... My memory is fading...

If you connect to the same physical device using both AFP and SMB, you will
live in interesting times. That poster cured his problem by dismounting all
his external drives, then re-connecting them all using SMB only.

There's also an issue with "lock" files. When a Microsoft application opens
a file on the network, it adds a "lock" file (the name begins with ~ ) to
the same folder as the file, so other applications can tell who is using
that file.

If that file gets abandoned (say, because Word crashes...) the server still
thinks the file is in use when it is not.

These are hidden files, so normally you cannot see them. If you want to,
issue the following command in Terminal:

defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles YES

Then re-launch the Finder.

But that's just another thing we can do to entertain ourselves while waiting
for things to be fixed...

Cheers

Hi John;

Wasn't there also something about connecting with AFP rather than SMB... Or
am I confused as usual? Networking just ain't my gig anymore :-}

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

--

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
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]