I have Excel 2003 files on a Windows share (Win2k3 server). When a user tries to open an Excel file, it comes up with "open for editing by user2" when it is user2 who is trying to open the file and user1 already has the file open. Why is Excel reporting the wrong user having the file open? What can be done to correct how Excel reports who has the file open for editing? 

With multiple users editing a financial spreadsheet, it is vital that the correct user is identified as the editor for auditing purposes. In a recent issue with this, it would have taken far less time to track down who has the file open if it had reported correctly. As it was, we had to go desk by desk to see who (if any) had it open. 

I am having this same problem, although the environment is a little different. We have a mix of Win7 & Office 2010 client machines with WinXP & Office 2003 and a Win2k8 server. I have noticed that it is reporting back who last made a change and saved the file, rather than whoever has the file locked (open). I have confirmed it isn't because of the Office "personalization" where perhaps the wrong username was put in when Office was installed, and the server is locking the file correctly. I'm going to do some more troubleshooting today so I'll definitely check back in here.

Did you find out more about this issue? Your description fits perfectly with an error we are seeing in an environment with Windows 7 / Office 2010 clients and a Windows 2003 fileserver.

I am experiencing the same issue.  We have a 2003 server and Windows7 clients running Office 2010.

 

I'm just now starting the process of diagnosing.  I see that the 2003 server shows the proper user has the file open.

 

I have found that on a Terminal Server, Office Personalization does not run for new users. Excel defaults to the user that installed MS Office, rather than the currently logged on user. I have had to manually correct the data for each new user. In Excel (2010), click File, Options, General, and find the field called "User name".

• Proposed as answer by BrentHaulmark Thursday, September 22, 2011 1:49 PM

I have found that on a Terminal Server, Office Personalization does not run for new users. Excel defaults to the user that installed MS Office, rather than the currently logged on user. I have had to manually correct the data for each new user. In Excel (2010), click File, Options, General, and find the field called "User name".

• Proposed as answer by BrentHaulmark Thursday, September 22, 2011 1:49 PM

I have found that on a Terminal Server, Office Personalization does not run for new users. Excel defaults to the user that installed MS Office, rather than the currently logged on user. I have had to manually correct the data for each new user. In Excel (2010), click File, Options, General, and find the field called "User name".

• Proposed as answer by BrentHaulmark Thursday, September 22, 2011 1:49 PM

This does not impact the issue I am experiencing.  The user's name that shows as having the file lock does not change, regardless of the system that has the file locked.  I have tested on multiple machines none of which have ever been used by the user showing as having the file locked.

 

Hi M.Kinsely,

I had the same issue. This worked when accessing the files properties using win 7 Pro. I resolved it by right clicking on the file and selecting properties. Click on the details tab and then click remove properties and personal information. Select remove the following properties from this file. Then click on the box names last saved by. Click ok.

I did this and the file started to display the proper user that had the file open. I am not sure why it worked for me, but it did. I havn't had any users complain about this issue in a week now. Hope it helps!

 

I am running in to the same issue and have already tried to install the HOT Fix as per the following information below. I have also tried to "Remove Last saved by details" from the file to no avail. We are on windows 7 Office 2010 any help is much appreciated.

In cases where the wrong user name is displayed in the file lock dialog

Sometimes where it says 'another user' it has the name of someone that didn't open the file or it has no name at all. Just a big ' ' where a name ought to be. Fear not, there is a fix for this problem. The flavor depends on whether you have Excel 2010 or Excel 2007. The below KB Articles contain hotfixes that address several issues, not just the file locked issue. But in the dialog of the article you will see this as one of the problem descriptions:

Assume that you have an .xls file that is protected by Information Rights Management (IRM) on a network share. When you open the file in Excel 2007, a File In Use dialog box appears. However, the dialog box does not display the correct name of the user who locked the file. Therefore, you cannot edit the file.

Understand that these fixes don't make the File in Use dialog go away, they just correct the problem of showing bogus user name information on the dialog itself.

Excel 2007 - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2598133

Excel 2010 - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2598143

• Edited by StarTech77 Tuesday, September 04, 2012 8:23 PM

 

I am running in to the same issue and have already tried to install the HOT Fix as per the following information below. I have also tried to "Remove Last saved by details" from the file to no avail. We are on windows 7 Office 2010 any help is much appreciated.

In cases where the wrong user name is displayed in the file lock dialog

Sometimes where it says 'another user' it has the name of someone that didn't open the file or it has no name at all. Just a big ' ' where a name ought to be. Fear not, there is a fix for this problem. The flavor depends on whether you have Excel 2010 or Excel 2007. The below KB Articles contain hotfixes that address several issues, not just the file locked issue. But in the dialog of the article you will see this as one of the problem descriptions:

Assume that you have an .xls file that is protected by Information Rights Management (IRM) on a network share. When you open the file in Excel 2007, a File In Use dialog box appears. However, the dialog box does not display the correct name of the user who locked the file. Therefore, you cannot edit the file.

Understand that these fixes don't make the File in Use dialog go away, they just correct the problem of showing bogus user name information on the dialog itself.

Excel 2007 - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2598133

Excel 2010 - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2598143

• Edited by StarTech77 Tuesday, September 04, 2012 8:23 PM

 

I am running in to the same issue and have already tried to install the HOT Fix as per the following information below. I have also tried to "Remove Last saved by details" from the file to no avail. We are on windows 7 Office 2010 any help is much appreciated.

In cases where the wrong user name is displayed in the file lock dialog

Sometimes where it says 'another user' it has the name of someone that didn't open the file or it has no name at all. Just a big ' ' where a name ought to be. Fear not, there is a fix for this problem. The flavor depends on whether you have Excel 2010 or Excel 2007. The below KB Articles contain hotfixes that address several issues, not just the file locked issue. But in the dialog of the article you will see this as one of the problem descriptions:

Assume that you have an .xls file that is protected by Information Rights Management (IRM) on a network share. When you open the file in Excel 2007, a File In Use dialog box appears. However, the dialog box does not display the correct name of the user who locked the file. Therefore, you cannot edit the file.

Understand that these fixes don't make the File in Use dialog go away, they just correct the problem of showing bogus user name information on the dialog itself.

Excel 2007 - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2598133

Excel 2010 - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2598143

• Edited by StarTech77 Tuesday, September 04, 2012 8:23 PM

We ran into the same issue and found:

Users running Excel 2010 attempting to open an Excel 97/2003 formatted document while someone else is using it displays the last modified user as the person who has the file open, regardless of who has it open now.

For Instance:
User1 has Finance.xls open on her desktop
Finance.xls was last modified by User20
When User3 attempts to open Finance.xls, she receives an error stating the file is in use by User20
User1 saves and closes Finance.xls - becoming the last modifier
User3 then opens Finance.xls
User1 goes back to open Finance.xls, and receives an error stating User1 has it open.... really?

We don't see the same problem when the Excel files were saved/upgraded in 2007/2010 format, so it may just be a compatibility issue.

This looks exactly the same as what I am experiencing with a customer. Has anyone had any success to this point? I am going to try to modify the preview settings on my next visit.

I just encountered this exact issue today for the first time.. I attempted all the above fixes that were suggested but the wrong username was still being displayed.

I figured out what my issue was.. This may not be the same problem for you but it worked for me.
Hopefully it works for you and anyone else with this issue.

In the Shared folder or the File Server;

1. Open the folder where the Document is located.
2. Click Tools=>Folder Options
3. Click the View tab
4. Scoll down to Advanced Settings>Hidden files and folders
5. Select Show hidden files and folders and Unselect Hide protected operating system files
6. Look for a temp lock file and delete it. It should look something like ~$filename.xlsx  or whatever file extension the it was saved in.
   (In my case, this file had become corrupt and was stuck displaying an earlier modify date from a few days ago..)

Good Luck!
-Andy

• Proposed as answer by Andy328i Friday, April 19, 2013 7:57 PM

I just encountered this exact issue today for the first time.. I attempted all the above fixes that were suggested but the wrong username was still being displayed.

I figured out what my issue was.. This may not be the same problem for you but it worked for me.
Hopefully it works for you and anyone else with this issue.

In the Shared folder or the File Server;

1. Open the folder where the Document is located.
2. Click Tools=>Folder Options
3. Click the View tab
4. Scoll down to Advanced Settings>Hidden files and folders
5. Select Show hidden files and folders and Unselect Hide protected operating system files
6. Look for a temp lock file and delete it. It should look something like ~$filename.xlsx  or whatever file extension the it was saved in.
   (In my case, this file had become corrupt and was stuck displaying an earlier modify date from a few days ago..)

Good Luck!
-Andy

• Proposed as answer by Andy328i Friday, April 19, 2013 7:57 PM

I just encountered this exact issue today for the first time.. I attempted all the above fixes that were suggested but the wrong username was still being displayed.

I figured out what my issue was.. This may not be the same problem for you but it worked for me.
Hopefully it works for you and anyone else with this issue.

In the Shared folder or the File Server;

1. Open the folder where the Document is located.
2. Click Tools=>Folder Options
3. Click the View tab
4. Scoll down to Advanced Settings>Hidden files and folders
5. Select Show hidden files and folders and Unselect Hide protected operating system files
6. Look for a temp lock file and delete it. It should look something like ~$filename.xlsx  or whatever file extension the it was saved in.
   (In my case, this file had become corrupt and was stuck displaying an earlier modify date from a few days ago..)

Good Luck!
-Andy

• Proposed as answer by Andy328i Friday, April 19, 2013 7:57 PM

Andy,

That was the fix for me!  Corrupted tmp file.   Thank you!!!

Joe

This one did the trick. TY

I just encountered this exact issue today for the first time.. I attempted all the above fixes that were suggested but the wrong username was still being displayed.

I figured out what my issue was.. This may not be the same problem for you but it worked for me.
Hopefully it works for you and anyone else with this issue.

In the Shared folder or the File Server;

1. Open the folder where the Document is located.
2. Click Tools=>Folder Options
3. Click the View tab
4. Scoll down to Advanced Settings>Hidden files and folders
5. Select Show hidden files and folders and Unselect Hide protected operating system files
6. Look for a temp lock file and delete it. It should look something like ~$filename.xlsx  or whatever file extension the it was saved in.
   (In my case, this file had become corrupt and was stuck displaying an earlier modify date from a few days ago..)

Good Luck!
-Andy

Thanks Andy, it's really helpful.

This worked for me too.  What I was experiencing was it didn't matter who had it open it still said this ex-associate had it open/locked.  I found the hidden lock file dated from last year when she worked here.  Deleted.  Now the lock file creates itself and deletes itself upon closing as it should.  Thanks Andy

Brilliant!  

Thank you very much Andy. The trick solved my problem.