I have a collection of VBA code we use in a number of spreadsheets that has
been placed in a file cause "autodatabase" and used as an add-in in lots of
things. The file is placed on our fileserver so everyone has access to it.

Practically every time I try to do an update to the code I find, after the
fact, that the file is in "read-only mode". It does not tell me this when I
open it or start editing, only later when I try to save.

It offers no information on why it is in read-only mode. I go around and
quit everyone else out of Excel, but that doesn't seem to help. No one has it
open, so why is it in read-only mode?

In fact, the file in question is password protected, so in fact no one
except me should EVER have it in writable mode.

Can someone offer suggestions on...

1) why this is happening
2) some way to solve it when it happens
3) a better solution so I don't have this problem in the first place

Maury

We also distribute addins off of a server... The problem you are experiencing
is because you are not making local copies of the addins to each local
machine. We have a template that we use to copy the addins to a local
directory on everyones computer instead of everyone sharing the addin from
the server. Until you make local copies for everyone you will run into this
problem... Sorry no easy fix that I know of.

HTH

"Maury Markowitz" wrote:

I have a collection of VBA code we use in a number of spreadsheets that has
been placed in a file cause "autodatabase" and used as an add-in in lots of
things. The file is placed on our fileserver so everyone has access to it.

Practically every time I try to do an update to the code I find, after the
fact, that the file is in "read-only mode". It does not tell me this when I
open it or start editing, only later when I try to save.

It offers no information on why it is in read-only mode. I go around and
quit everyone else out of Excel, but that doesn't seem to help. No one has it
open, so why is it in read-only mode?

In fact, the file in question is password protected, so in fact no one
except me should EVER have it in writable mode.

Can someone offer suggestions on...

1) why this is happening
2) some way to solve it when it happens
3) a better solution so I don't have this problem in the first place

Maury

That seems rather unreasonable, there must be better methods
of sharing macros and addins on a network.

There are several MS knowledge base articles see the Related Area in
Read-Only in Excel, Problems with
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel...ly.htm#related

Please tell us what your solution turns out to be.


Do you have the ability to create and change a file at that location
if noone else ever touches it . Seems there might be a problem with
the files that the administrator or you antivirus program is allowing you
to update.

If the problem is within Excel caused by file sharing you can turn it
off under Tools.

If the files were copied from a CD-ROM use for a backup or to distribute
later, most applications in Window will create it as read only, XCOPY will not.
Right click on a file or a directory in a file manager or explorer listist and look at properties. If you change read only it will
affect the the file, or if a directory it will affect the directory and all sub directories.

---
HTH,
David McRitchie, Microsoft MVP - Excel [site changed Nov. 2001]
My Excel Pages: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm
Search Page: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/search.htm

"Jim Thomlinson" wrote in message
...
We also distribute addins off of a server... The problem you are experiencing
is because you are not making local copies of the addins to each local
machine. We have a template that we use to copy the addins to a local
directory on everyones computer instead of everyone sharing the addin from
the server. Until you make local copies for everyone you will run into this
problem... Sorry no easy fix that I know of.

HTH

"Maury Markowitz" wrote:

I have a collection of VBA code we use in a number of spreadsheets that has
been placed in a file cause "autodatabase" and used as an add-in in lots of
things. The file is placed on our fileserver so everyone has access to it.

Practically every time I try to do an update to the code I find, after the
fact, that the file is in "read-only mode". It does not tell me this when I
open it or start editing, only later when I try to save.

It offers no information on why it is in read-only mode. I go around and
quit everyone else out of Excel, but that doesn't seem to help. No one has it
open, so why is it in read-only mode?

In fact, the file in question is password protected, so in fact no one
except me should EVER have it in writable mode.

Can someone offer suggestions on...

1) why this is happening
2) some way to solve it when it happens
3) a better solution so I don't have this problem in the first place

Maury

"David McRitchie" wrote:

There are several MS knowledge base articles see the Related Area in
Read-Only in Excel, Problems with
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel...ly.htm#related

I'll check this out.

Do you have the ability to create and change a file at that location
if noone else ever touches it . Seems there might be a problem with
the files that the administrator or you antivirus program is allowing you
to update.

Sometimes it appears this is the problem, and rebooting the server is the
only obvious solution. This is certainly not the only cause, however. For
instance, this morning I was able to take control of it easily.

If the problem is within Excel caused by file sharing you can turn it
off under Tools.

Sorry, turn what off?

Maury

Hi Maury,

Sorry, turn what off?

This is probably a digression or at least only one small part
of things that could be a problem, but...
Do you see "[Shared]" on the Title bar, if you do you might take a look at
Highlight, Change Highlighting
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/highlite.htm
as that can be changed from the Tools menu.

To remove a workbook from shared use
Tools -- Share Workbook -- Editing (tab) --
uncheck Allow changes by more than one person -- OK -- Yes
---
HTH,
David McRitchie, Microsoft MVP - Excel
My Excel Pages: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm

"David McRitchie" wrote:
Do you see "[Shared]" on the Title bar, if you do you might take a look at
Highlight, Change Highlighting

Oh I get it. No, this is not the problem. The file in question is an XLA,
which we use all over the place. So the first person to get in in the morning
is granted write access and then me and my fellow developer are locked out.

Is there some way to prevent this? We added a password to the XLA, but that
didn't help the problem. What we'd really like is that anyone who opens it
gets it read-only, but if you type in the password then you get write access.
This seems to be the way the XLS would work, but not the XLA.

I assume this has something to do with the Add-In system, but I can't find
any details on this.

Maury

Hi Maury,
Look at Window menu to see if it is creating additional workbooks
which may be list or you may have to also look at hidden workbooks.

Can you tell what file or resource is being held. I don't do anything
on a network.

Look at the parameters in Tools, Options, General
Default File location is the directory where you create new files.
Also also look at File, Properties
Hyperlink base (if it is not empty what does it have)



---
HTH,
David McRitchie, Microsoft MVP - Excel
My Excel Pages: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm

"Maury Markowitz" wrote in message
...
"David McRitchie" wrote:
Do you see "[Shared]" on the Title bar, if you do you might take a look at
Highlight, Change Highlighting

Oh I get it. No, this is not the problem. The file in question is an XLA,
which we use all over the place. So the first person to get in in the morning
is granted write access and then me and my fellow developer are locked out.

Is there some way to prevent this? We added a password to the XLA, but that
didn't help the problem. What we'd really like is that anyone who opens it
gets it read-only, but if you type in the password then you get write access.
This seems to be the way the XLS would work, but not the XLA.

I assume this has something to do with the Add-In system, but I can't find
any details on this.

Maury

"Jim Thomlinson" wrote:

We also distribute addins off of a server... The problem you are experiencing
is because you are not making local copies of the addins to each local
machine. We have a template that we use to copy the addins to a local
directory on everyones computer instead of everyone sharing the addin from
the server.

What is your solution here? Do you have code to automated the download? If
so, would you be willing to share it?

Maury

"David McRitchie" wrote:

Look at Window menu to see if it is creating additional workbooks
which may be list or you may have to also look at hidden workbooks.

Nope, this is not the problem. I can cause the same problem simply opening
Excel. Since the file in question is part of the AddIns, the file becomes
locked as soon as ANY spreadsheet is open.

Can you tell what file or resource is being held.

The file being held is the file we are trying to work on,
"autodatabase.xla". The name is meaningless. It is stored on the network
drive and included by default

I don't do anything on a network.

I have a feeling that Microsoft doesn't either!

Maury