Open From Read-Only Location ?

[Guest]

Recently a few of my spreadsheets have been misbehaving - when I try to open
them I get the message "********.xls cannot be accessed. The file may be
read-only, or you may be trying to access a read-only location. Or, the
server the document is stored on may not be responding."

These are spreadsheets I have made myself, and I am trying to open them from
my local machine or a memory stick - the files themselves have been made on
any one of three machines, two running XP and one (this one) running windows
2000.

Can you help ?

 

[Guest]

Try going to the folder that the files are in using Windows Explorer.
Right-click on the folder name and choose [Properties]. Look and see if the
Read Only option is selected for the folder - that there is a solid black
check mark in the box. If there is, then clear it.

If it is gray it means some files are read only, others aren't, so it's not
read only at the folder level.

If that doesn't seem to be the problem, go to the individual files and
right-click on them each in turn and check their Read Only status, clear as
required.

As for how they may have gotten to the way they are - (which I figure is the
next question) - I haven't a clue. Working between three machines and at
least 2 different storage locations/devices, any number of things could have
caused some or all of the files to become Read Only.

 

[Guest]

I was just about to post this same question when i saw this thread. Yesterday
I went to work in an excel spreadsheet when I got the exact same message. I
checked the folder where the file should have been only to be mystified when
it wasn't there. Somehow it's disappeared. Then I remembered that when I shut
down the night before the computer hadn't been ready. It's possible the excel
worksheet had still been open. When I turned on the computer that morning
chkdsk had opened and run through. I didn't check what it found or what it
did though. Is it possible that it had deleted the spreadsheet? And, if so,
is there a way to restore it? My bank accounts, car loan, business accounts
are all in this deleted sheet. I have already checked recycle bin but it
isn't there? Please help!!

Try going to the folder that the files are in using Windows Explorer.
Right-click on the folder name and choose [Properties]. Look and see if the
Read Only option is selected for the folder - that there is a solid black
check mark in the box. If there is, then clear it.

If it is gray it means some files are read only, others aren't, so it's not
read only at the folder level.

If that doesn't seem to be the problem, go to the individual files and
right-click on them each in turn and check their Read Only status, clear as
required.

As for how they may have gotten to the way they are - (which I figure is the
next question) - I haven't a clue. Working between three machines and at
least 2 different storage locations/devices, any number of things could have
caused some or all of the files to become Read Only.

Recently a few of my spreadsheets have been misbehaving - when I try to open
them I get the message "********.xls cannot be accessed. The file may be
read-only, or you may be trying to access a read-only location. Or, the
server the document is stored on may not be responding."

These are spreadsheets I have made myself, and I am trying to open them from
my local machine or a memory stick - the files themselves have been made on
any one of three machines, two running XP and one (this one) running windows
2000.

Can you help ?

 

[Guest]

Colin,
There appears to be hope, so don't do anything drastic just yet.

You say that you tried to open the file but got the "read only location"
message. To me that sounds like the file is still somewhere on your
computer. I would think that a search for the file through 'My Computer'
should find it.

Do a little setup before beginning the search: open 'My Computer' and choose
Tools | Folder Options and on the [View] tab go down and make sure that the
option to show hidden files and folders is set to SHOW them. Also clear the
checkbox next to [Hide protected operating system files (Recomended)] entry.
Then do a search for your file that looks everywhere in 'My Computer'
including system folders and all.

Hopefully this will turn up the folder somewhere on the system. If you find
it and have difficulty dealing with it, getting it to open or anything, let
me know ( HelpFrom @ JLathamsite.com without spaces will get email to me).

Assuming things go your way, after you find the file and get it going again,
think about setting up a backup strategy so that your critical business and
financial files and records are not in jeopardy of loss through a single
point of failure.

I was just about to post this same question when i saw this thread. Yesterday
I went to work in an excel spreadsheet when I got the exact same message. I
checked the folder where the file should have been only to be mystified when
it wasn't there. Somehow it's disappeared. Then I remembered that when I shut
down the night before the computer hadn't been ready. It's possible the excel
worksheet had still been open. When I turned on the computer that morning
chkdsk had opened and run through. I didn't check what it found or what it
did though. Is it possible that it had deleted the spreadsheet? And, if so,
is there a way to restore it? My bank accounts, car loan, business accounts
are all in this deleted sheet. I have already checked recycle bin but it
isn't there? Please help!!

Try going to the folder that the files are in using Windows Explorer.
Right-click on the folder name and choose [Properties]. Look and see if the
Read Only option is selected for the folder - that there is a solid black
check mark in the box. If there is, then clear it.

If it is gray it means some files are read only, others aren't, so it's not
read only at the folder level.

If that doesn't seem to be the problem, go to the individual files and
right-click on them each in turn and check their Read Only status, clear as
required.

As for how they may have gotten to the way they are - (which I figure is the
next question) - I haven't a clue. Working between three machines and at
least 2 different storage locations/devices, any number of things could have
caused some or all of the files to become Read Only.

Recently a few of my spreadsheets have been misbehaving - when I try to open
them I get the message "********.xls cannot be accessed. The file may be
read-only, or you may be trying to access a read-only location. Or, the
server the document is stored on may not be responding."

These are spreadsheets I have made myself, and I am trying to open them from
my local machine or a memory stick - the files themselves have been made on
any one of three machines, two running XP and one (this one) running windows
2000.

Can you help ?