Outlook seems to hold documents hostage?

[Guest]

I am using Word and Outlook 2003.
I keep Outlook open so I can see incoming email.
Almost once a day I will open a document stored on the network, make changes
to it, and then save it by a different name. Usually I will close the
original document to continue working on the new iteration, but then forget
something I had typed, so want to open the older version.
I get a message saying that the document is in use. I have found that I have
to shut down ALL open windows with documents AND Outlook before the system
will let me access the document.
It seems that Outlook is holding my document hostage.
Is there any setting I can change to alleviate this problem? It is really
annoying to have to shut down everthing in order to be able to re-open
something I just closed.
Thanks,
Terry

 

[Graham Mayor]

Save the document you keep opening as a template then when you want to make
changes create a new document from that template.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

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[Guest]

So you are telling me that in order to get Outlook to release a document I
have to save it as a .dot? Let me explain a little better.

It is not just one document, this occurs when I open any document, and save
it by a different name. After I do that I have two documents, one that was
the original, and one that has the new name. I close the original and then
try to re-open it, and the system tells me that the document is "in use" by
another user or program. I cannot access that original document until I shut
down every other instance of Word AND Outlook.

 

[Graham Mayor]

This is because Word creates a lock file when a document is opened and the
original may remain locked when you save it with a new name. The lock files
should be released when Word is closed or both documents are closed.

You can view this behaviour directly from Word's file handling dialogs if
you set Windows Explorer to display hidden files and folders and to display
the extensions of known file types.

The problem is exaccerbated by the presence of orphan lock files caused when
Word was not closed down normally. These should be removed any time they
occur - see http://www.gmayor.com/what_to_do_when_word_crashes.htm

If you are using documents as templates for new documents then the correct
method is to save them as templates in the first place.

Incidentally if you use Outlook's own e-mail editor rather than Word you
will not have the problem of Outlook holding winword.exe open in the
background.


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Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

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[Guest]

I am not using documents as templates for new documents, I am simply saving
each iteration of a document as I work on it.
However, your last comment seems to be helpful. Is there a way to set the
editor in Outlook? I am using the default settings that the IT dept set up. I
don't really need to use Word to edit my email messages.

 

[Graham Mayor]

From Outlook > tools > options > mail format > uncheck Use Word to edit
e-mail messages etc.
You may also like http://www.gmayor.com/save_numbered_versions.htm which
saves each iteration with a new name.

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<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

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