Changes to one document mysteriously cause changes in another.

G

Guest

This is very puzzling.

I have two documents that 'think' they are the same file. They have two
different filenames but in file properties each identifies itself as the same
'parent' (for lack of a better word) document.

The 'parent' document is named B-Text.doc and has a weight of 622 KB (in the
Windows Explorer tree) while the 'child' document, whose contents are
identical in every way, has completely different filename and a weight of
only 19 KB. Opening the properties dialog of both files reveals that the file
size for both is 622 KB and that the MS DOS filename for both is B-Text.doc.

That is, Windows Explorer/My Computer says that the 'child' file is only 19
KB, but when you open its properties dialog, its general info says that it IS
the 'parent' file and that it has 622 KB.

The freaky effect is that no matter what you might do to either of these
documents, the exact same thing occurs in the other. The content in both
files is identical. If I insert an image in one, it appears in both. Editing
text in one simulatneously edits the text in the other precisely the same
way. For all intents and purposes, they ARE the same document even though
they have two different filenames. They not only appear identical as far as
content is concerned, but nothing can be done in one without it
simultaneously happening in the other.

The author of the 'child' document is not available, so nobody here knows
how it was created, nor why and how it does what it does. It is kind of a
neat trick and could have some beneficial uses, however, without knowing how
to control it, it is a matter of concern for it would be extremely
problematic if an important document could be modified by someone
(accidentally or intentionally) using a 'child' document.

I hope I have explained the issue satisfactorily and that someone has a clue
as to what is occuring here, how to create it, and how to fix it.

Any illumination toward the solution of this puzzle would be greatly
appreciated. Thanks.

Roger
 
S

Suzanne S. Barnhill

Does one of the documents consist entirely of an IncludeText field? (Try
Alt+F9 to check.)

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.
 
G

Guest

No. The only two fields in the document(s) are a date field in the header and
a page number field in the footer.
 
S

Stefan Blom

How do you open the documents? Note that several, seemingly different,
entries on the Windows Documents menu might actually link to the
same document on disk.
 
G

Guest

The documents are opened via double-clicking in Windows Explorer and/or by
using the Open file command on the Word menu bar. I use two monitors, so I
can view both documents side by side at 100%. If you insert an image, delete
an image, insert or delete text or make any kind of a change in one of the
documents, the change is effected in both documents simultaneously.

Both documents have identical MS DOS filenames according to their respective
Properties dialogs (B-Text.doc), but only one of them has a Windows filename,
B-Text.doc. The mystery document only has a weight of 19 KB even though it
appears identical to the main document in every way.

Changes are not unilateral. Either document can be edited and will cause the
change in the other docuement.

An alternate question would be...how can a Word document be saved such that
its MS DOS filename (as shown in File> Properties> General) remains the same,
but its Windows filename (that shows up in Windows Explorer/My Computer)
becomes some other name?

That is what appears to have happened here. It would seem that changes occur
in both files simultaneously, perhaps, because they both have the same exact
MS DOS filename (as identified by Word in the file Properties). I guess they
can be open together at the same time because on the surface they are two
different files (in Windows Explorer/My Computer they have two different
filenames). But if you look in the Properties of each, they both have the
exact same filename, B-Text.doc.
 

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