office file in use?

[Ext User(Tomboy)]

I have a problem with Word97 over an XP-Home 2-machine network in an office.
After fiddling around with internet connection sharing, a whole heap of Word
files located on one machine generate a "This file is in use by .........,
do you want to make a copy" upon opening them. The name used is the name
that was entered in as the name when Word97 was installed and the one that
appears in the Help|About box.

What has happened? It seems like it thinks every file is already in use
before it is opened...

[Ext User(Chock)]

"Tomboy" <no_spam@spam.spam> wrote in message
news:newscache$dug9ti$1hb$1@phantom.amnet.net.au.. .
> I have a problem with Word97 over an XP-Home 2-machine network in an
office.
> After fiddling around with internet connection sharing, a whole heap of
Word
> files located on one machine generate a "This file is in use by .........,
> do you want to make a copy" upon opening them. The name used is the
name
> that was entered in as the name when Word97 was installed and the one that
> appears in the Help|About box.
>
> What has happened? It seems like it thinks every file is already in use
> before it is opened...
>
>

Normally when a Word doc is opened, it creates a locking file in the same
folder that is hidden, and is named "~$xxxxx.doc" (where "xxxx" is the rest
of the filename, less the first 2 characters). Are these files present? If
so, it's a simple matter to delete them and the Word docs won't be locked
anymore. You'll have to make hidden files visible to check, though.

If not, then I don't know ...

- Chock

[Ext User(BDFH)]

"Tomboy" <no_spam@spam.spam> wrote in
news:newscache$dug9ti$1hb$1@phantom.amnet.net.au:

> I have a problem with Word97 over an XP-Home 2-machine network in an
> office. After fiddling around with internet connection sharing, a
> whole heap of Word files located on one machine generate a "This file
> is in use by ........., do you want to make a copy" upon opening
> them. The name used is the name that was entered in as the name when
> Word97 was installed and the one that appears in the Help|About box.
>
> What has happened? It seems like it thinks every file is already in
> use before it is opened...
>
>


I've run into this on a non-networked machine, and it seems there's a
problem with winXP and Word/Office97 registering correctly.

Simple to fix though.

Open a command window (Start->Run->CMD) and type this and press enter:


"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\WINWORD.EXE" /regserver

Similiarly for Excel if you get the same type of problem:

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Excel.Exe" /regserver


Obviously, change the path names to wherever you have Word/Office
installed.

Failing that, it could be a permissions/file sharing issue on one of the
networked PCs.

Cheers,
-GP-

[Ext User(Damien McBain)]

Tomboy committed to the eternal aether...:

> I have a problem with Word97 over an XP-Home 2-machine network in an office.
> After fiddling around with internet connection sharing, a whole heap of Word
> files located on one machine generate a "This file is in use by .........,
> do you want to make a copy" upon opening them. The name used is the name
> that was entered in as the name when Word97 was installed and the one that
> appears in the Help|About box.
>
> What has happened? It seems like it thinks every file is already in use
> before it is opened...

If the two suggestions above don't work, check 'open files' in mmc
(compmgmt).

[Ext User(Damien McBain)]

Damien McBain committed to the eternal aether...:

> Tomboy committed to the eternal aether...:
>
>> I have a problem with Word97 over an XP-Home 2-machine network in an office.
>> After fiddling around with internet connection sharing, a whole heap of Word
>> files located on one machine generate a "This file is in use by .........,
>> do you want to make a copy" upon opening them. The name used is the name
>> that was entered in as the name when Word97 was installed and the one that
>> appears in the Help|About box.
>>
>> What has happened? It seems like it thinks every file is already in use
>> before it is opened...
>
> If the two suggestions above don't work, check 'open files' in mmc
> (compmgmt).

... on the computer which is hosting the files of course