OFFXP: No Warning When You Overwrite File on FTP Server (285488)



The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel 2002
  • Microsoft PowerPoint 2002
  • Microsoft Word 2002

This article was previously published under Q285488

SYMPTOMS

If you open a file, such as a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, from a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server, edit the file, and save the file back to the FTP server, you may overwrite changes in the file made by other people since you first opened the file.

You are not warned by the Microsoft Office program, and other users who open the file while you are editing it are not warned that the file is already open for editing.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs because when you open a file stored on an FTP site, you actually download a temporary copy of the document to your temporary directory. When you save the document, you are actually uploading the edited document from your temporary directory to the FTP site; this process overwrites the document on the FTP site. Other people who have access to the FTP site can open the document, make changes, and then save those changes while you are editing the document.

WORKAROUND

To work around this issue, open the document using Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), if possible.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:11/13/2003
Keywords:kbbug kbpending KB285488