Excel 2016 – does not save!

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Hi there

I have just encountered a first for me…. Excel 2016 (Office365 Business) will not save files any longer. When working on an excel file I get this message when saving:
“Your changes could not be saved…because of a sharing violation. Please close the file and reopen it”

When you do this all your changes are lost. It appears that Excel creates a new temp file with a random filename and no extension A04345DF for example. This should be renamed to the filename you’ve just saved, and then the old xlsx file should be deleted. This is as per the article on MS website “how excel saves a file”

This is driving me nuts – there is no sharing on the folder or any other access from anyone else.

I had this on my laptop and went through removing and re-installing Office365. Now I have tried on a different machine, and it worked but now this one has the same problem……….. I am now re-installing my laptop – Windows 10 + all apps and then data restore to be done – its gonna be days!

Please help!!! I have a major deadline looming, and can’t save files.

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Hi

is it just the File>Save not working??
..can you do a File-SaveAs????
..can you save the file to external storage??

zeddy

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I’ve been searching the forum, and found this thread which has the same problem:
http://windowssecrets.com/forums/showthread//158523-The-document-was-saved-successfully-but-excel-can-t-re-open-it

The “solution” was to try a difference drive, but this time, I am using a completely different machine! same problem.

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Hi

Is the file located on a local network drive??
Is the file in a sharepoint location??
Is the file in a ‘cloud’ location??

zeddy

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Hi

How big is the file?? Is it ‘timing out’ on your network???
I use .xlsb file format to significantly reduce file size and reduce network traffic.
What is the original source of the file??
Is it an old .xls file that has been updated???

zeddy

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I have tried this on two separate machines – its a spreadsheet with loads of data that has taken over a week to gather from around 2000 pages of various documents. It appears to be the same problem wherever I save it, and using SAVE or SAVE AS is the same issue.

Is this an Excel issue, Windows 10 Issue, or just this spreadsheet? I have no idea what the cause is, because I have worked using the same environment for a couple of years without any issues. Now this crops up just before I need to finalise a report……

I don’t think its a file issue, because it happens with others, too (on different machines)

Unfortunately I can’t share the file, as its confidential info….

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Hi Zeddy

Yes – I use a Private Cloud system to keep things “safe” – its called AeroFS. It works across the local network, and I suppose this is a “watched folder” type of application.

The same file saves fine if I copy it to a folder on the desktop and outside of the AeroFS folders. This has only just started to happen…. I’ve used this for years now without a problem – why has this suddenly started to happen, I wonder?

For info – the same thing happens, even if I turn off the AeroFS syncing……

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It sounds to me that file size may be an issue here.
If it is not in xlsb format, try using a local copy, then saving it in xlsb format.
Then try seeing if it will save to your cloud system.

zeddy

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Here’s a really strange issue: I have other excel files that I have opened and edited around the same time as these. These open and save perfectly OK, whilst others don’t – now I’m completely confused!!

They are in different folders, but still under AeroFS….. so it’s not AeroFS either………

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Here’s a really strange issue: I have other excel files that I have opened and edited around the same time as these. These open and save perfectly OK, whilst others don’t – now I’m completely confused!!

They are in different folders, but still under AeroFS….. so it’s not AeroFS either………

I am sorry to insist, but you have done nothing to prove it’s not AeroFS and something with the specific files that do not save. The fact that other files open properly just means that AeroFS doesn’t affect the other files. The error message is telling and it seems to me that you are choosing to ignore it.

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I have been thinking that it might be the path/filename length – but that’s not it either! The files that I have had a problem with are both long and short…. and the file that saves has a path length in between….!!!

Path lengths that don’t work: 115 characters & 54 characters
Path length that works: 102 characters

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Thanks Zeddy

The timesheet & joblist files link to each other, so that might be the problem there. Never had this as an issue before, though.
The other one that has a problem has lots of internal lookups etc. but no external links! I checked that too!

The one that just saves has no links – perhaps that’s the issue?

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I would definitely suspect AeroFS, judging from the error message you get. Have you tried the Save As option to a non AeroFS monitored folder?

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The file size is small – 170kb! It doesn’t make sense to me that it would cause a timeout problem. I get the same error if I turn off the syncing, so I don’t think that’s the problem.

The file format is .xlsx = 170kb
In file format .xlsb = 130kb = not much difference.

I have other files (my Timesheets file for example) that has a link to another excel file, and is around 1.7Mb and the linked file is only 25kb and now that I have gone to check they also suffer from the same problem!! It must be something to do with the AeroFS client installed on my machine.

I don’t have this problem with any Word docs, or other files…. strange!

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its a spreadsheet with loads of data that has taken over a week to gather from around 2000 pages of various documents

..yes, 170kb shouldn’t be a problem at all! (I was thinking the file might’ve been ~40MB)

Check to see if the file you are trying to save has any unusual ‘links’. like referring to a phantom drive location, or a network location that has been recently changed or deleted.
I once had a problem with someone’s Excel file performing very sluggishly – turned out there was a link in the file that referred to a server which was located in another country.

zeddy

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Ruirib – thanks for the responses and I’m not ignoring the AeroFS potential problem. Why would one file within the AeroFS structure work and others not?

Saving a file with the problem to a location outside of AeroFS does not pick up the problem if I copy the Excel file from one folder to another, but it does if I File / SaveAs…

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Ruirib – thanks for the responses and I’m not ignoring the AeroFS potential problem. Why would one file within the AeroFS structure work and others not?

I honestly don’t know. I am just making an evaluation from the error message you get. Since AeroFS would seem to be the reason for sharing to be involved, it seems like a potential culprit to me.

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The ‘sharing violation’ part of the message may be referring to a problem with a ‘link’ within the Excel file.
If the file you are having a problem with saving has any links, then perhaps you could test by breaking the links, and then see if it saves OK. (breaking links will convert formulas to values in any such ‘linked’ cells).

zeddy

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I have sent queries to the AeorFS support desks to see if they perhaps have a solution….. (no response yet but I will post it back here if I do!)

It seems rather strange that this problem occurs suddenly now – I’ve been looking for some kind of reason or change that might have caused this, but no specific Windows Update was installed that caused this to start happening. The only updates have been these:
Update for Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 Update 4 Redistributable Package (various KB’s)

I don’t know how that might affect things, but they don’t seem to be related.

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Maybe try a clean boot, which hopefully won’t load AeroFS and check if the problem persists?

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Hi Rui
The clean boot does not seem to help – it appears that maybe the folders are “owned” by AeroFS even when its not running.

The spreadsheets that have external links are the Timesheet – Joblist files. This I understand being a potential problem.

The other that does not save does not have external links (checked) but does have a lot of internal links between sheets.

the file that works has no lookups of anything – just a very simple adding up and total.

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Hi Rui
The clean boot does not seem to help – it appears that maybe the folders are “owned” by AeroFS even when its not running.

The spreadsheets that have external links are the Timesheet – Joblist files. This I understand being a potential problem.

The other that does not save does not have external links (checked) but does have a lot of internal links between sheets.

the file that works has no lookups of anything – just a very simple adding up and total.

Have you tried a Save as to a folder not monitored or owned by AeroFS?

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I have this same issue with AeroFS.

I’ve spend a long time working on this with AeroFS and Microsoft and the reason is this;

When Excel saves a file, it does it in a very particular way – very different to other programs!

1. First it creates a new file with a random 8 character long name eg: B1C0092E
2. Next, it renames your file to a temp file eg My_Excel_File.tmp
3. It then renames the random file to your original file name eg.. B1C0092E > My_Excel_File.xlsx
4. Then it deletes the My_Excel_File.tmp

The issue is that AeroFS is a wickedly fast sync tool and it grabs the temp files as soon as Excel finishes with them and begins syncing them. At this point, Excel comes back to try and rename/delete them and finds AeroFS in there doing it’s business, then throws a paddy moaning the file is in use and can’t be renamed or deleted! Then Excel just gives up.

The random 8 Character file is your saved file, rename it with an xlsx extension and it should be fine.

Microsoft maintain nothing has changed.
AeroFS state that Excel is releasing the files too early, as they won’t take a file in use.

They need to redesign their software to accommodate the excel file save, but have deemed it a low priority “edge case”, as it’s only affecting me! And you now! If you want to PM me, I’ll give you my case number and you can give it to AeroFS support along with your symptoms to hopefully escalate the fix. It’s on their radar to fix sometime in the next 6-12 months currently – I have been told.

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Hello Gavin
I have no hair left after at least 2 months of trying to sort things out.

The end result is this:
1. Go to your AeroFS Appliance and make a manual backup.
2. turn off the AeroFS Appliance
3. Download the latest new Appliance image from AeroFS
4. Set up the new version (I have 1.3.21)
5. Restore the manual backup that you have from the old appliance
6. Let the appliance restore properly and set the IP address etc as you did when you first set it up.
7. Let the appliance update your AreoFS Clients and TeamServers to the same version – its done automatically, and is pretty fast.
8. Restart the client OS’s…… this makes sure that the new clients are operating and installed.
9. Give the Excel files a try again.

I have found that some of the problems have gone away, but any files that were affected before still seem to give trouble. Its better than it was, but still not ideal.

I have had the update running for around 2 weeks now, and it seems like it is close to being solved. I will wait for another week before giving them feedback.

They were very helpful about this!! But I also got the “edge case” and was left out in the cold a little.

I would check with AeroFS support on how to upgrade your appliance. I would suggest at complete replacement rather than an in place upgrade, just to make sure it wasn’t the underlying OS.

Let me know how you fare!

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Hi

Well, I am well practiced in upgrading the appliance – my use predates the In place upgrade 😀

They suggested they would not begin work on the issue for some time – so i’d be surprised if they did fix it, unless inadvertently – the issue did seemingly arise form nowhere!

Agreed, they are a tremendously helpful bunch, they have written a fix for another issue I presented them with, where the potential affect was more widespread. This case they say, was only affecting me – so I wonder if you would PM me your case ID so that I can go back to them and link the two up – prove it’s not just me!

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I have been having this exact same problem – but I do not have AeroFS. I do use Google drive, though, so maybe it’s a similar issue. It seems like it’s only started happening since I upgraded to Office 2016. Doing a Save As usually works, but sometimes even that does not solve the problem, and sometimes I do not get an error, so I’ll close a document thinking it has been saved but when I reopen it, it is an old version. So infuriating – particularly when it happens multiple times with the SAME document.

The post below was TREMENDOUSLY helpful – I was able to find work I had thought I’d lost. Thank you @xerogavin.

I have this same issue with AeroFS.

I’ve spend a long time working on this with AeroFS and Microsoft and the reason is this;

When Excel saves a file, it does it in a very particular way – very different to other programs!

1. First it creates a new file with a random 8 character long name eg: B1C0092E
2. Next, it renames your file to a temp file eg My_Excel_File.tmp
3. It then renames the random file to your original file name eg.. B1C0092E > My_Excel_File.xlsx
4. Then it deletes the My_Excel_File.tmp

The issue is that AeroFS is a wickedly fast sync tool and it grabs the temp files as soon as Excel finishes with them and begins syncing them. At this point, Excel comes back to try and rename/delete them and finds AeroFS in there doing it’s business, then throws a paddy moaning the file is in use and can’t be renamed or deleted! Then Excel just gives up.

The random 8 Character file is your saved file, rename it with an xlsx extension and it should be fine.

Microsoft maintain nothing has changed.
AeroFS state that Excel is releasing the files too early, as they won’t take a file in use.

They need to redesign their software to accommodate the excel file save, but have deemed it a low priority “edge case”, as it’s only affecting me! And you now! If you want to PM me, I’ll give you my case number and you can give it to AeroFS support along with your symptoms to hopefully escalate the fix. It’s on their radar to fix sometime in the next 6-12 months currently – I have been told.

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Hi Rui

Sorry for not responding yesterday – meetings caught up with me!
I have done a save as outside of the AeroFS folders and the experience was as follows:
when copying the file and pasting outside AeroFS the file works normally. When I do a Save as I have the same issue……..

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Here’s another test – I loaded the same file into a Dropbox Folder on the same machine. Dropbox doesn’t have a problem, and the file saves as is expected. This must therefore be an issue with AeroFS. I have sent them the whole story, and hopefully will get a response from them shortly.

Thank you all for your fantastic assistance in finding the problem!!!!!

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Here’s another test – I loaded the same file into a Dropbox Folder on the same machine. Dropbox doesn’t have a problem, and the file saves as is expected. This must therefore be an issue with AeroFS. I have sent them the whole story, and hopefully will get a response from them shortly.

Thank you all for your fantastic assistance in finding the problem!!!!!

At least you can complete your work and meet that deadline :). Let’s hope AeroFS can help you fix the issue.

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Case ID was sent through to you….. please keep me posted on developments.

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