Ironically, I have a good solution that I use for Access databases, including
a custom form with a timer that kicks a user out after they are idle for a
while, but saves their changes and provides the option to re-do those changes
when the user comes back. However, that solution is a little too complex for
this situation.

Dave, I understand your concerns, but if the workbook is not shared, and
some user has it opened and decides to take an extra long lunch, or even a
vacation, then everyone else who requires access to the workbook is impacted.
It is unacceptable one inconsiderate user to impact a whole organization.

What about the suggestion to make the workbook shared? When you do that,
multiple users can open and edit the file at the same time. Also, you have
access to a change history log so you can see who has been editing the file
over time. Finally, when you share a workbook, the users are prevented from
making structural changes to the workbook. They can't do things like
add/delete sheets or make formatting changes. The only way to make that kind
of change is to "unshare" the workbook, make the changes, and then share it
out again.

Tools/Share Workbook...

Check the "Allow changes by more than one user at the same time." box.

HTH,

Eric

"Alberta Rose" wrote:

Excellent points Dave and Eric! I hadn't thought about the other variables
that could happen, eek... I like the idea of putting the warning on.

I'm also the Microsoft Access person for our company, and would love to get
this switched over to Access, but ... higher powers love Excel and are slowly
moving towards Access.

Do you have the coding I would put to give the Continue or Quit options?
Thanks for your help with this, much appreciated...

Laurie

"EricG" wrote:

Something intermediate that I have done many times is to put a very visible,
impossible to miss warning form that says something like "It's been a long
time since you did anything! Are you still working in the file
'Share_File.xls'? If not, please exit so others can use it." I have two
buttons: "Continue" and "Quit". The user makes the choice.

Also, the thought of making it a shared workbook just crossed my mind...


"Dave Peterson" wrote:

If I were a user of this workbook, I'd be worried--even if I'm not the offender.

If you save that workbook that hasn't been touched in 10 minutes, how do you
know what you're saving?

If that user did something very bad (destroying lots of data or deleting lots of
sheets--either by mistake or on purpose (wanting to save it as a new name)),
then doesn't saving it just make matters worse?

And if you think you can close without saving, I'd hate to be the user who made
an hours worth of intricate changes only to lose them because I got a phone
call.

Heck, I'd hate to be the developer of that ontime procedure when the user
complains that he or she didn't do the damage--the developer did.

Personally, I think that this is a training issue. You have to get the users on
board to make changes and get out.

Even better would be to use a different application--one that supports multiple
concurrent users (Access or any real database program????).

That said, I used to have the same problem. Instead of closing the file
automatically, I'd write a record to a text file on a server that was open to
everyone (but no one knew about!) whenever any opened the workbook or closed it.

Then I'd just open that text file (readonly mode!) to see the last person to
open without closing.



Alberta Rose wrote:

At times someone in our office has a certain file open to which others
need access. If the person hasn't made changes in 10 minutes, I'd like the
file to save and close automatically after this time period. I've tried a
couple of suggestions on this site, but not working. Any help?

--

Dave Peterson