This file is in use by another application or user normal.dotm

W

Wearylemur

I've done a lot of googling and playing around with the following issue:

* A user has a document open in Word 2007
* The user closes the document
* Roughly once a day but completely randomly the user gets the following
error:
- This file is in use by another application or user...normal.dotm

My research has indicated that 3rd party add-ins can cause this problem so
I've disabled all 3rd party add-ins and the problem still happens.
My research has also indicated that deleting the normal.dotm can fix the
problem but this is not an option since it has custom content. Eventually the
problem randomly goes away before randomly returning so that means deleting
isn't going to solve it.

Is there a solution that either stops this prompt from happening or fixes
the source of the problem that doesn't involve deleting the normal.dotm?
(Being most replies to this kind of post simply state "delete" without
considering that deleting is not an option for some.)
 
G

Gordon Bentley-Mix

Rather than deleting the normal.dotm, try just renaming it to something like
"pokednormal.dotm" and see if that resolves the problem. If it does then you
should be able to copy the customisations from the renamed template into the
new one that Word builds automatically.

And if it doesn't, please post back and provide a bit more information on
the following:
* Operating system
* Work or home environment and if on a network or not
* Location of the normal.dotm
* Description of said customisations - especially if they include any
macro code
--
Cheers!

Gordon Bentley-Mix
Word MVP

Uninvited email contact will be marked as SPAM and ignored. Please post all
follow-ups to the newsgroup.
 
W

Wearylemur

The problem is this can happen daily and asking the users to rename or delete
their normal.dotm is something that I can't tell them. (My boss would think
I'm an idiot and probably want to hire someone else.) I need a real solution.

Additionally we have a custom normal.dotm and having to remake that once a
day per user is not a good use of time.

Here are the answers to your questions:

* OS - Windows XP Professional Version 2002 Service Pack 3
* Work environment, the problem is happening to four users, there is a
network but none of the files are on a network. The normal.dotm is stored in
its default location and I've made sure the file is not read only and that
everyone has full permissions to the file.
* Normal.dotm location - it's in the default location for Office 2007 which
I believe is "C:\Documents and Settings\[User Name]\Application
Data\Microsoft\Templates"
* Customizations - There are several macros in the normal.dotm I'll include
them at the end of this post.
* Office version - Microsoft Office Word 2007 (12.0.6331.5000) SP1 MSO
(12.0.6320.5000)

I have confirmed there are no add-ins running, I even disabled the Outlook
add-in just to be safe. I have also confirmed the anti-virus software ignores
the normal.dotm file.

I checked with the users on the possibility of it being related to Word
crashing. They reported it does not appear to happen after a crash so Orphan
locks are not likely the issue. Even if it were, having to delete the
normal.dotm (my understanding of the orphan lock resolution) is not valid.
The users have reported rebooting the computer as a way to resolve the issue
but asking them to reboot every time this happens is not a valid solution. We
need to stop this from happening.

Macros: (Note: I replaced all text with a [text] placeholder. I also removed
all comments. Other than that these are the exact macros in the normal.dotm.
Also I didn't write the macros but they look safe to me.)

Sub Macro1()
Selection.Font.Name = "Arial"
Selection.Font.Name = "Arial"
Selection.Font.Size = 11
Selection.Cells.VerticalAlignment = wdCellAlignVerticalCenter
Selection.ParagraphFormat.Alignment = wdAlignParagraphCenter
ActiveWindow.ActivePane.VerticalPercentScrolled = 46
End Sub
Sub Macro2()
Selection.InsertSymbol Font:="WP Greek Century", CharacterNumber:=-4052, _
Unicode:=True
End Sub
Sub Macro3()
Selection.InsertSymbol Font:="Symbol", CharacterNumber:=-3999, Unicode:= _
True
End Sub
Sub Macro4()
Selection.InsertSymbol Font:="Symbol", CharacterNumber:=-3998, Unicode:= _
True
End Sub
Sub Macro5()
Selection.Font.Name = "Arial"
Selection.Font.Name = "Arial"
Selection.Font.Size = 11
Selection.ParagraphFormat.Alignment = wdAlignParagraphCenter
Selection.ParagraphFormat.Alignment = wdAlignParagraphCenter
Selection.Rows.HeightRule = wdRowHeightAuto
Selection.Rows.Height = InchesToPoints(0)
Selection.Rows.AllowBreakAcrossPages = False
End Sub
Sub Macro6()
With Selection.Tables(1)
With .Borders(wdBorderLeft)
.LineStyle = wdLineStyleDouble
.LineWidth = wdLineWidth075pt
.Color = wdColorAutomatic
End With
With .Borders(wdBorderRight)
.LineStyle = wdLineStyleDouble
.LineWidth = wdLineWidth075pt
.Color = wdColorAutomatic
End With
With .Borders(wdBorderTop)
.LineStyle = wdLineStyleDouble
.LineWidth = wdLineWidth075pt
.Color = wdColorAutomatic
End With
With .Borders(wdBorderBottom)
.LineStyle = wdLineStyleDouble
.LineWidth = wdLineWidth075pt
.Color = wdColorAutomatic
End With
With .Borders(wdBorderHorizontal)
.LineStyle = wdLineStyleSingle
.LineWidth = wdLineWidth050pt
.Color = wdColorAutomatic
End With
With .Borders(wdBorderVertical)
.LineStyle = wdLineStyleSingle
.LineWidth = wdLineWidth050pt
.Color = wdColorAutomatic
End With
.Borders(wdBorderDiagonalDown).LineStyle = wdLineStyleNone
.Borders(wdBorderDiagonalUp).LineStyle = wdLineStyleNone
.Borders.Shadow = False
End With
With Options
.DefaultBorderLineStyle = wdLineStyleSingle
.DefaultBorderLineWidth = wdLineWidth050pt
.DefaultBorderColor = wdColorAutomatic
End With
End Sub
Sub Macro7()
End Sub
Sub Macro8()
Selection.Rows.HeightRule = wdRowHeightAuto
Selection.Rows.Height = InchesToPoints(0)
Selection.Rows.AllowBreakAcrossPages = False
Selection.Font.Name = "Arial"
Selection.Font.Name = "Arial"
Selection.Font.Size = 11
Selection.Cells.VerticalAlignment = wdCellAlignVerticalCenter
Selection.ParagraphFormat.Alignment = wdAlignParagraphCenter
End Sub
Sub Macro9()
Selection.TypeText Text:= _
"**[text goes here]."
Selection.TypeText Text:= _
" [more text goes here] "
Selection.TypeText Text:="[text here]."
End Sub
Sub Macro10()
Selection.TypeText Text:="[text]"
Selection.MoveDown Unit:=wdLine, Count:=2
Selection.TypeText Text:="[text]"
End Sub
Sub Macro11()
Selection.TypeText Text:="[text]"
Selection.MoveDown Unit:=wdLine, Count:=2
Selection.TypeText Text:="[text]"
End Sub
Sub Macro12()
Selection.TypeText Text:="[text]"
End Sub
Sub Macro13()
Selection.Delete Unit:=wdCharacter, Count:=1
Selection.TypeText Text:="[text]"
Selection.MoveDown Unit:=wdLine, Count:=2
Selection.TypeText Text:="[text]"
End Sub
Sub Macro14()
Selection.TypeText "[text]"

End Sub
Sub Macro15()
Selection.Copy
Selection.Paste
End Sub
Sub Macro16()
Selection.TypeText Text:="[text]"
End Sub
Sub QuickPrint()
Application.PrintOut FileName:="", Range:=wdPrintCurrentPage, Item:= _
wdPrintDocumentContent, Copies:=1, Pages:="",
PageType:=wdPrintAllPages, _
ManualDuplexPrint:=False, Collate:=True, Background:=True,
PrintToFile:= _
False, PrintZoomColumn:=0, PrintZoomRow:=0, PrintZoomPaperWidth:=0, _
PrintZoomPaperHeight:=0
End Sub
Sub Macro17()
Application.PrintOut FileName:="", Range:=wdPrintCurrentPage, Item:= _
wdPrintDocumentContent, Copies:=1, Pages:="",
PageType:=wdPrintAllPages, _
ManualDuplexPrint:=False, Collate:=True, Background:=True,
PrintToFile:= _
False, PrintZoomColumn:=0, PrintZoomRow:=0, PrintZoomPaperWidth:=0, _
PrintZoomPaperHeight:=0
End Sub
Sub Macro18()
Selection.WholeStory
Options.DefaultHighlightColorIndex = wdNoHighlight
Selection.Range.HighlightColorIndex = wdNoHighlight
End Sub
Sub Macro21()
With ActiveWindow.View
.ShowRevisionsAndComments = False
.RevisionsView = wdRevisionsViewFinal
End With
End Sub
 
G

Graham Mayor

If it is happening daily then the probability is that Word is not being shut
down correctly and the PC is being switched off with Word running or there
is a fault condition that is preventing Word from closing its temporary
files. This causes Word to crash and orphans the lock files that cause the
error messages. If normal.dotm is corrupt then the only way to deal with it
is to rename it, so if your boss thinks you are an idiot for knowing how to
deal with such a problem, you have to wonder who really is the idiot there.
See http://www.gmayor.com/what_to_do_when_word_crashes.htm then
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/ProblemsStartingWord.htm.

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

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

The problem is this can happen daily and asking the users to rename
or delete their normal.dotm is something that I can't tell them. (My
boss would think I'm an idiot and probably want to hire someone
else.) I need a real solution.

Additionally we have a custom normal.dotm and having to remake that
once a day per user is not a good use of time.

Here are the answers to your questions:

* OS - Windows XP Professional Version 2002 Service Pack 3
* Work environment, the problem is happening to four users, there is a
network but none of the files are on a network. The normal.dotm is
stored in its default location and I've made sure the file is not
read only and that everyone has full permissions to the file.
* Normal.dotm location - it's in the default location for Office 2007
which I believe is "C:\Documents and Settings\[User Name]\Application
Data\Microsoft\Templates"
* Customizations - There are several macros in the normal.dotm I'll
include them at the end of this post.
* Office version - Microsoft Office Word 2007 (12.0.6331.5000) SP1 MSO
(12.0.6320.5000)

I have confirmed there are no add-ins running, I even disabled the
Outlook add-in just to be safe. I have also confirmed the anti-virus
software ignores the normal.dotm file.

I checked with the users on the possibility of it being related to
Word crashing. They reported it does not appear to happen after a
crash so Orphan locks are not likely the issue. Even if it were,
having to delete the normal.dotm (my understanding of the orphan lock
resolution) is not valid. The users have reported rebooting the
computer as a way to resolve the issue but asking them to reboot
every time this happens is not a valid solution. We need to stop this
from happening.

Macros: (Note: I replaced all text with a [text] placeholder. I also
removed all comments. Other than that these are the exact macros in
the normal.dotm. Also I didn't write the macros but they look safe to
me.)

Sub Macro1()
Selection.Font.Name = "Arial"
Selection.Font.Name = "Arial"
Selection.Font.Size = 11
Selection.Cells.VerticalAlignment = wdCellAlignVerticalCenter
Selection.ParagraphFormat.Alignment = wdAlignParagraphCenter
ActiveWindow.ActivePane.VerticalPercentScrolled = 46
End Sub
Sub Macro2()
Selection.InsertSymbol Font:="WP Greek Century",
CharacterNumber:=-4052, _ Unicode:=True
End Sub
Sub Macro3()
Selection.InsertSymbol Font:="Symbol", CharacterNumber:=-3999,
Unicode:= _ True
End Sub
Sub Macro4()
Selection.InsertSymbol Font:="Symbol", CharacterNumber:=-3998,
Unicode:= _ True
End Sub
Sub Macro5()
Selection.Font.Name = "Arial"
Selection.Font.Name = "Arial"
Selection.Font.Size = 11
Selection.ParagraphFormat.Alignment = wdAlignParagraphCenter
Selection.ParagraphFormat.Alignment = wdAlignParagraphCenter
Selection.Rows.HeightRule = wdRowHeightAuto
Selection.Rows.Height = InchesToPoints(0)
Selection.Rows.AllowBreakAcrossPages = False
End Sub
Sub Macro6()
With Selection.Tables(1)
With .Borders(wdBorderLeft)
.LineStyle = wdLineStyleDouble
.LineWidth = wdLineWidth075pt
.Color = wdColorAutomatic
End With
With .Borders(wdBorderRight)
.LineStyle = wdLineStyleDouble
.LineWidth = wdLineWidth075pt
.Color = wdColorAutomatic
End With
With .Borders(wdBorderTop)
.LineStyle = wdLineStyleDouble
.LineWidth = wdLineWidth075pt
.Color = wdColorAutomatic
End With
With .Borders(wdBorderBottom)
.LineStyle = wdLineStyleDouble
.LineWidth = wdLineWidth075pt
.Color = wdColorAutomatic
End With
With .Borders(wdBorderHorizontal)
.LineStyle = wdLineStyleSingle
.LineWidth = wdLineWidth050pt
.Color = wdColorAutomatic
End With
With .Borders(wdBorderVertical)
.LineStyle = wdLineStyleSingle
.LineWidth = wdLineWidth050pt
.Color = wdColorAutomatic
End With
.Borders(wdBorderDiagonalDown).LineStyle = wdLineStyleNone
.Borders(wdBorderDiagonalUp).LineStyle = wdLineStyleNone
.Borders.Shadow = False
End With
With Options
.DefaultBorderLineStyle = wdLineStyleSingle
.DefaultBorderLineWidth = wdLineWidth050pt
.DefaultBorderColor = wdColorAutomatic
End With
End Sub
Sub Macro7()
End Sub
Sub Macro8()
Selection.Rows.HeightRule = wdRowHeightAuto
Selection.Rows.Height = InchesToPoints(0)
Selection.Rows.AllowBreakAcrossPages = False
Selection.Font.Name = "Arial"
Selection.Font.Name = "Arial"
Selection.Font.Size = 11
Selection.Cells.VerticalAlignment = wdCellAlignVerticalCenter
Selection.ParagraphFormat.Alignment = wdAlignParagraphCenter
End Sub
Sub Macro9()
Selection.TypeText Text:= _
"**[text goes here]."
Selection.TypeText Text:= _
" [more text goes here] "
Selection.TypeText Text:="[text here]."
End Sub
Sub Macro10()
Selection.TypeText Text:="[text]"
Selection.MoveDown Unit:=wdLine, Count:=2
Selection.TypeText Text:="[text]"
End Sub
Sub Macro11()
Selection.TypeText Text:="[text]"
Selection.MoveDown Unit:=wdLine, Count:=2
Selection.TypeText Text:="[text]"
End Sub
Sub Macro12()
Selection.TypeText Text:="[text]"
End Sub
Sub Macro13()
Selection.Delete Unit:=wdCharacter, Count:=1
Selection.TypeText Text:="[text]"
Selection.MoveDown Unit:=wdLine, Count:=2
Selection.TypeText Text:="[text]"
End Sub
Sub Macro14()
Selection.TypeText "[text]"

End Sub
Sub Macro15()
Selection.Copy
Selection.Paste
End Sub
Sub Macro16()
Selection.TypeText Text:="[text]"
End Sub
Sub QuickPrint()
Application.PrintOut FileName:="", Range:=wdPrintCurrentPage,
Item:= _ wdPrintDocumentContent, Copies:=1, Pages:="",
PageType:=wdPrintAllPages, _
ManualDuplexPrint:=False, Collate:=True, Background:=True,
PrintToFile:= _
False, PrintZoomColumn:=0, PrintZoomRow:=0,
PrintZoomPaperWidth:=0, _ PrintZoomPaperHeight:=0
End Sub
Sub Macro17()
Application.PrintOut FileName:="", Range:=wdPrintCurrentPage,
Item:= _ wdPrintDocumentContent, Copies:=1, Pages:="",
PageType:=wdPrintAllPages, _
ManualDuplexPrint:=False, Collate:=True, Background:=True,
PrintToFile:= _
False, PrintZoomColumn:=0, PrintZoomRow:=0,
PrintZoomPaperWidth:=0, _ PrintZoomPaperHeight:=0
End Sub
Sub Macro18()
Selection.WholeStory
Options.DefaultHighlightColorIndex = wdNoHighlight
Selection.Range.HighlightColorIndex = wdNoHighlight
End Sub
Sub Macro21()
With ActiveWindow.View
.ShowRevisionsAndComments = False
.RevisionsView = wdRevisionsViewFinal
End With
End Sub
 
W

Wearylemur

Thank you for your additional attention to this issue. I find your advice a
bit odd though perhaps you can explain to me what I'm missing. Word does not
crash, I've confirmed with the users, that it hasn't crashed since they've
upgraded to 2007 so I'm not sure how those links apply or can be helpful?
Maybe if I explain the typical behavior of the users it can shed some light
on the issue:

* User opens one or more Word documents.
* User makes changes to the documents.
* User quits out of some documents and may open more during the course of
use.
* Eventually at some point when the user closes one of the Word documents
they get the error.
* Once the error appears it persists till they reboot at the end of the day.

The basic idea is they are in and out of Word all day long and at any point
during the day it can happen. Sometimes they can go more than a day but not
usually. Is there not a setting that can say "ignore this error? or don't
save the normal.dotm when this happens?" Is there a hotfix I was unable to
find? Is it a confirmed bug in Word and I can say "sorry we have to wait for
a fix? Is there a work around like "change your permission on the folder to
include some obscure OS user account"?
 
G

Graham Mayor

Are your users sharing the normal template (normal.dotm)? The following
would still apply http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=811468 .
The problem you are encountering concerns an inability to correctly handle
the temporary files that Word creates. The usual reason for this is a
stalled Word application that has left temporary files that conflict with
the future running of Word. The first of the links I posted addresses what
to do with those temporary files, should they be present when Word (and
Outlook) are closed. The other link addresses the various causes for the
fault condition to occur in the first place.

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

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
 
Joined
Mar 10, 2012
Messages
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Sorry to Dig up this very old post, but I had the same problem and just solved it.

The normal.dotm message kept appearing because the WINWORD.exe process was still running, even after closing Word. It was preventing from closing by a Bluetooth module installed by an update of the bluetooth driver.

Disabling the bluetooth module enabled me to close successfully Word at every time, removing the prompt for the normal.dotm already in use.

Cheers,

nostra16
 
Joined
Jan 27, 2014
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
This worked for me.

Sorry to Dig up this very old post, but I had the same problem and just solved it.

The normal.dotm message kept appearing because the WINWORD.exe process was still running, even after closing Word. It was preventing from closing by a Bluetooth module installed by an update of the bluetooth driver.

Disabling the bluetooth module enabled me to close successfully Word at every time, removing the prompt for the normal.dotm already in use.

Cheers,

nostra16
 

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