XL7: "This File Has Been Locked" Error Saving Shared Workbook (230572)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 95
This article was previously published under Q230572

SYMPTOMS

When you save a shared workbook, you may receive one of the following error messages
This file has been locked by <user name> for saving. Please try again later.
where <user name> is the name of another user who has the file open for editing.

-or-
Document saved as '<numchar>'. Cannot rename to '<filename>'. You must close this document.
where <numchar> is a combination of numbers and characters such as 0ae06000 and <filename> is the name of the file you are saving, such as Book1.xls.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs when you save a shared workbook while another user is also saving the same file. This behavior occurs because the workbook is locked during the save process and cannot be saved by another user until the save process is complete.

WORKAROUND

To work around this behavior, wait a few minutes (depending on the size of the file) until the save process is complete, and then try saving the file again.

MORE INFORMATION

This error message may appear when you save a file immediately after another user saves the same file. When you save an Excel workbook file, the following process occurs:
  • The original file (for example, Book1.xls) is locked.
  • The original file is saved to a temporary file (0ae06000).
  • The original file (Book1.xls) is unlocked.
  • The original file (Book1.xls) is deleted.
  • The temporary file (0ae06000) is renamed to the original file name (Book1.xls).
If you save a shared workbook while it is being saved by another user, you receive the error message described in the "Symptoms" section in this article. This problem occurs when your save process begins after the file is deleted and before it is renamed (by the first save process) or when the save process you initiated locks the file after it is unlocked (by the first save process). It is unlikely that you will receive the second error message; it appears only in the case when two save processes for one file begin almost at the same moment.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:8/18/2005
Keywords:kbprb KB230572
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