MS Office Files be overwritten while on wi-fi

[timrob]

At work, we have MS Office files such as Excel that are edited by multiple users at different times.  These are not shared files.  The original user is loosing write access when they move from wired LAN to wireless LAN/wifi.  Our IT group is clueless.  This has been going on for months.  Any ideas?

Scenario
1st user opens Excel file while the laptop is docked and connected to the (wired) LAN.
1st user makes changes to the same file.
1st user makes multple saves to the file.
1st user undocks, keeping the same file open.
1st user walks through multiple Wi-Fi zones.  Laptop lid may or may not be closed.
1st user opens laptop lid in a different Wi-Fi zone and starts working on file again.
1st user saves file multiple times.
2nd user opens the same file from a wired LAN.  No warning is given that somebody already has the file open.
1st user tries to save the file and receives a warning that the file is locked for editing.  See screen shot for 2 different errors received by the 1st user.
2nd user continues working on the file, saving, and over-writing any changes the 1st user has made.
1st user loses any changes they’ve made since undocking.


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[DaveLembke]

For starters, they should save a local copy then save to the network share. This way their work wouldn't be lost and could be merged later.

A transactional database would put an end to this! This is a good example of how not using a Database can cause problems.

Only other way around this without a database would be to hold the files behind an interface that issues work to people and so no one else can access a file while another has it out. Such interface would send file to user by e-mail, and by e-mail it could be returned to the system. It would work like a library where a book is out and no one can access the book while its out until its returned and a librarian type of program then issues it to the next person who needs it. However productivity problems would arise if 2 or more people need to do something at the same time. Not a problem if they can work on something else until that file that they also need access to returns to be accessed. Biggest problem here is if that file is worked on and not returned then the system would need someone to go in and flag it as returned even though it hasnt been yet such as an IT professional or manager of data management.

Lowest tech solution is a single location for people to look to see who is working on what, but its not fool proof. It would require people to list what they are working on so that no one else opens that file while they are working in it. But this is not good if other people need to use it and dont have anything else to do at the same time in which productivity takes a hit.

Having someone write a database a real database that is transactional is the best solution, where whatever needs to be entered can be entered in a FORM on a browser and then that record is added to the main database. Two people editing a price tag of a product however could still undo what the other did though. Such as one person sets the price to $14.99 and another person after then sets it to $2.99. The last change for the database will be whats reflected. Someone checking on the data however would hopefully find this problem such as say its for a Steak, there should be rules in the database query that looks for values that are outside of a known window of valid prices for products, so that the steak's aren't all of a sudden selling for $2.99 per lb. Making for a customer shopping frenzy to buy shopping carts full of meat at below cost. 

[BC_Programmer]

File locks are per session, not per user. For example, the same user logged into two different locations can open a shared file, but then that "session" has locked that file- they will be unable to access the file from the second location until the lock is released, Which would either mean waiting for a timeout (which could be up to an hour depending on how things are configured server-side) or the file to actually close.

When a laptop user opens a file via their wired internet connection when docked, it locks based on that session. So when they disconnect the laptop from the dock, and then move to Wireless, that is a new network session- As far as the server is concerned, That is a completely different system, which is almost certainly why write access is lost to the first user. As far as your system is concerned, some other system on the network- the wired address- locked that file.

Also, the way sharing works on a network is that when a file is opened, server side it might be put in a "queue" to allow write access if write access was originally requested. Since the system that moved from Wired to wireless didn't open the file with the wireless session, it is not put in that "line" and as a result the second actual user that opens the file receives the file lock as soon as the original session times out.

[timrob]

Thanks for the reply.  It make sense.  So if I undock/transfer to wifi/start a new session, then immediately save the file I would be then have write access to that new session? 

Would I have to re-save for each wifi zone to guarantee I retain write access?  I'm in a 3 story building and it's about a 3 minute walk from my desk to the garage area on the first floor.  I pass through several overhead wifi routers.

We've created a timed schedule where each user is allowed access to the file from 3PM to 5PM which works well.  The rest of the day is a free-for-all.

[BC_Programmer]

I think you would have to close and re-open the file. I don't know how switching wifi routers would effect it, though it may be seen as a different system.

[timrob]

I did a test and saving the file immediately after undocking retains my rights even if I change Wi-Fi zones!