Microsoft KB Archive/130100

= "Replace Existing" Message Saving Shared Workbook =

Article ID: 130100

Article Last Modified on 8/15/2005

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 95 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q130100





SYMPTOMS
In Microsoft Excel, when you save a shared workbook using the Save As command, you receive a dialog box with the following message

The file ' ' already exists. Replace existing file?

where is the name with which you saved the workbook.

If you use the SaveAs method in a Visual Basic, Applications Edition, procedure to save a shared workbook, you receive a dialog box with the following message

Replace existing ' '?

where is the name with which you saved the workbook.



CAUSE
This behavior occurs as expected when you save a file to the same location and with the same name as an existing file. However, when you are editing a shared file, this message is misleading because another user may be editing the file. In this case, if you answer Yes to replace the existing file, you are not truly "replacing" the file. You are still prompted with the Conflict Resolution dialog box if a change you made conflicts with a change saved in the workbook by another user. The Save As dialog box does not replace an existing file if it is currently open by another user.

When you use a Visual Basic procedure to save a shared workbook, you must use the SaveAs method if you want to use the conflictResolution argument to determine whose changes to accept in case of a conflict.



RESOLUTION
To work around this behavior, use any of the following methods.

Method 1:

Choose Yes in the dialog box asking if you want to replace the existing file. This method saves the file the same way it does if you click Save on the File menu. The Conflict Resolution dialog box will still appear if there is a conflict with a change you made to the workbook.

Method 2:

If you are not using a Visual Basic procedure to save the shared workbook, click the Save option on the File menu, instead of the Save As option to avoid receiving this message when you save a shared workbook.

Method 3:

If you are using a Visual Basic procedure to save the shared workbook, you can use the Save method instead of the SaveAs method. Note however in this case that you cannot use command arguments to specify information about the workbook such as the filename, whose changes to accept in case of a conflict, whether to save the file exclusively, and so on.



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

