I have a couple of excel workbooks that have decided (for a couple of months)
to tell me that they are in use and I can only open a "read only" version.
They are not in use. Sometimes restarting my computer releases them, but that
shouldn't be necessary.

Windows Vista with Excel 2003 service pack 3

Are you on a network, or is this just a local computer? Are there any
macros that might be opening the file in the background and not shutting down
the Excel session?

If it's on a network you could make the workbook a shared workbook, which
would allow multiple copies to open. If you're not a network the next time
that occurs I would do a Ctrl+Alt+Del and open the TASK MANAGER. Click the
PROCESSES tab if necessary and peruse the list of running applications and
make sure that Excel isn't open in the background on your system. You can
select a running instance and click the END PROCESS command button to close
the session. Make sure that you've saved all the work in your visible
session before proceeding though.
--
Kevin Backmann
Dallas, TX


"widman" wrote:

I have a couple of excel workbooks that have decided (for a couple of months)
to tell me that they are in use and I can only open a "read only" version.
They are not in use. Sometimes restarting my computer releases them, but that
shouldn't be necessary.

Windows Vista with Excel 2003 service pack 3

It happenes whether or not I'm on the network, but they are not in a shared
directory. And it is only certain workbooks. It also happens whether or not I
have excel open for other files. Normally I have 4 to 8 workbooks open at any
given moment.

The recomendadion on that link:
"All of a sudden a number of my Excel 2000 files have become "read-only".

Clear out c:\windows\temp directory on the machine that houses the
files, then reboot."

Is not a viable solution in the middle of the day when you are researching
in 8 web pages, crossing with 6 excel workbooks, answering email and running
other things.

There should be something better than reboot.



"Kevin B" wrote:

Are you on a network, or is this just a local computer? Are there any
macros that might be opening the file in the background and not shutting down
the Excel session?

If it's on a network you could make the workbook a shared workbook, which
would allow multiple copies to open. If you're not a network the next time
that occurs I would do a Ctrl+Alt+Del and open the TASK MANAGER. Click the
PROCESSES tab if necessary and peruse the list of running applications and
make sure that Excel isn't open in the background on your system. You can
select a running instance and click the END PROCESS command button to close
the session. Make sure that you've saved all the work in your visible
session before proceeding though.
--
Kevin Backmann
Dallas, TX


"widman" wrote:

I have a couple of excel workbooks that have decided (for a couple of months)
to tell me that they are in use and I can only open a "read only" version.
They are not in use. Sometimes restarting my computer releases them, but that
shouldn't be necessary.

Windows Vista with Excel 2003 service pack 3

Maybe one of these from Debra Dalgleish's site will help:
http://contextures.com/xlfaqApp.html#ReadOnly
http://contextures.com/xlfaqApp.html#AlreadyOpen

widman wrote:

I have a couple of excel workbooks that have decided (for a couple of months)
to tell me that they are in use and I can only open a "read only" version.
They are not in use. Sometimes restarting my computer releases them, but that
shouldn't be necessary.

Windows Vista with Excel 2003 service pack 3

--

Dave Peterson