Shared Drives

  • Thread starter Thread starter Aaron
  • Start date Start date
A

Aaron

Can an excel file be put on a public drive than copied
onto individual computers from that drive, where any
changes to the file on the public drive will change the
individual files on the computers (globally)?
 
Aaron:

There might be a way to do this, but I doubt it. Sounds
like this would be prohibited in order to avoid an
ID4 "infect the mother ship with a virus so that it will
spread to all of the children" scenario. I don't believe
I would do this (personally) even if it could be done.

What CAN be done is to ensure that all of your global
users get a copy of the spreadsheet which contains a
macro. When users open their local copies, the macro
looks at the revision date of the shared version, and
then (if the shared version is "newer") automatically (or
with a "do you wish to update?" message box) updates the
copy on the global computers. In other words, the user
initiates the update, not the other way around.

Now, this could still theoretically spread a virus, but
it wouldn't be done en masse and would be easier to
eradicate because not all copies would be infected
simultaneously.

Just some food for thought.

MARTY
 
Marty:

Im glad you said that, it dident cross my mind. However I
am completely inept at programming marcos. Do you have a
reference that could help explain this?
 
Tough one. If you are not skilled at programming macros,
the best thing to do is to find someone (a colleague or
perhaps a contractor) who is, and have them to write it
for you. It really shouldn't be difficult; I'm guessing
not more than a couple of hours for someone who knows
what they are doing.

The message boards here are helpful (especially
Office/Excel/Programming), but they assume that you have
some experience with VBA programming.

If colleagues/contractors aren't an option, then if you
want it done badly enough you'll have to do it yourself.
The book I started with is "VBA for Dummies" (3rd edition
was written by Steve Cummings). There are others out
there, but I liked the way this one was written. (No
jokes about the appropriateness of the title!)

Good luck!
 
thanks marty. I dont think I can get a contractor and I
know noone here know how to programm like that. I will
most certianlly get that book!!!

If your not busy and want a challange Im at :)
(e-mail address removed).... If you do send an email (ill be
shocked) call it PCUA so I know its ok.

aaron
 
Aaron:

What you're wanting to do is beyong my current
programming skill (I'm just above amateur). I just threw
out the idea. I'm sure there's a way to make it work,
but I don't know how. I can conceptualize it (as I did
below), but I can't program it.

If I were in your situation I believe I would get the
book and try to teach myself as much as possible. Then,
when you can "speak the language", you can begin to get
help with specific programming details from the message
board (the one I mentioned is your best bet). I doubt
anyone on there would write the program for you, but they
might.

I recommend you copy this thread to Word or notepad and
save it so that you can easily find it again when the
time comes.

With any luck, someone else will reply to your original
message with another idea. Again, good luck.

MARTY
 
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