Word failed reading from this file (network drive unavailable)

[Ben Buck]

Firstly let me appologise for posting to this group, I could not find
anything more suitable

I have recently had my PC upgraded to Windows XP along with a new version of
Microsoft Office and I have noticed some interesting new behavior in
Microsoft Word 2002 compared to Word 97. I wondered if anyone could explain
If this is genuinely new behavior? and how I can overcome it.?

The problem occurs when I have a word document open which is saved on a
network drive and the connection to the network drive is lost. (In my case
this is because I am activating a VPN connection which by design isolates the
network I am connecting from, although it still occurs if I pull the network
cable out of my PC for example)

The error I am getting is

Word failed reading from this file (xxxxxxx.doc). Please restore the network
connection or replace the floppy disk and retry.

The error is of course correct, Word cannot access the file and wants me to
restore the network connection, BUT Word does not allow me to access the
document WITHOUT restoring the network connection. I would like to be able to
either ignore the error and save the document to a local disk without
restoring the connection or (even better) continue to work on the document
safe in the knowledge that once I disconnect the VPN connection the file will
be available again and I will be able to save to the original location.

I am using Microsoft Word 2002 (10.6804.6811) SP3

Has anyone else come across this problem? and is there a resolution?

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I'd guess that it's upset because it can't find either the original file OR the
temp file(s) it created when opening the original. What's in memory on your
local PC may not constitute the entire file or may not include all the
information needed to save the file in its current edit state.

If so, it's better to refuse to let you save anything than to let you save a
partial or corrupted version of the document.

On anything but rock-solid networks, it's always been the wisest thing to copy
office documents to the local PC, work on them there, save them there, then
finally copy back to the network share.

 

[Ben Buck]

Thanks for replying Steve but there are a lot of assumptions there I had
come to a similar conclusion myself, and was hoping to have this confirmed.

I would like to point out that I have been working from network drives for
years with Word 97 with absolutely no problems, so Word 2002 must be doing
something differently. I agree that this could possibly be storing data in
the temp files and if this IS the case that I'd like to understand what (if
anything) the benefits are, if only to mitigate the loss I feel when working
with network files. (it does seem like a step backwards to me)

I don't want this to turn into a moan (too late?) but I really would like to
find a better workaround than copying to a local directory for editing, after
all one of the things I LOVE about working with network files is that you get
a warning that someone else is currently editing the file, which helps
maintaining the document continuity.

 

[Cindy M.]

Hi =?Utf-8?B?QmVuIEJ1Y2s=?=,

Firstly let me appologise for posting to this group, I could not find
anything more suitable

Almost any of the word newsgroups would be more appropriate than here.
Actually, the setup.networking group would be best, if there's anyone
monitoring it
http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/list/en-us/default.aspx?
dg=microsoft.public.word.setup.networking&cat=en_us_4927a2ee-3391-434e-a
23c-0423b640aa3c&lang=en&cr=us

Otherwise, the Office.setup newsgroup is probably your best bet
http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/list/en-us/default.aspx?
dg=microsoft.public.office.setup&cat=en_us_642d5640-c1ba-43c3-a224-b3ec1
473346c&lang=en&cr=us

FWIW, in Tools/OPtions/Save you should find a checkbox for saving a
local copy of network files. You might check whether that's activated
and if not, see if it helps.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 17 2005)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question
or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Thanks for replying Steve but there are a lot of assumptions there

Can't argue that point.

I would like to point out that I have been working from network drives for
years with Word 97 with absolutely no problems, so Word 2002 must be doing
something differently.

I've been working on files across the (very small, not at all heavily loaded)
network here since Office 4 and no problems here either, but it's not a
situation where the connection comes and goes.

A lot of people had serious file corruption problems using Office 97 apps to
open files over a network though. It may be that MS made changes in O2000 or
2002 to help prevent corruption in the event of a network failure.

Cindy's suggestions are good ... it'd be worth following up where she suggested.
If nothing else, you may find more hard fact and less guesswork. <g>