We have our stock in a large excel file, as we didn't found any suitable software, yet.

The problem is 95 % of the time we open it on the network to look at something.

5 % someone want to make changes.

If I make it read-only it can not be changed.

If it can be read/write only the first one who opens it can save it.

Perfect would be if we could right-click it and have the option to open as "read-only"

Or any other idea how to handle it. There are approx. 10 people and computer who may use it and all need to run around in the office/workshop, so you can't simply ask everyone.

I think there is surely a very simple solution...I just don't see it.

Any possibilities to move the file to google docs? Then you could could do the changes simultaneously.

Any possibilities to move the file to google docs? Then you could could do the changes simultaneously.

No, because internet is sometimes slow here (there are minutes where it doesn't work at all, even webradio doesn't work well) and some files are large (13 MB).

Second I would not let company documents outside.

I guess there are some simple solutions just I think too much in one way....

I think the answer is to use a batch file to open the spreadsheet.

See this blog

You could have two batchs files on the desktop. One to open Excel as read only and the other as normal, or if you want to spend a dfew minutes you could make the batch file ask you if you want to open as read only or as read/write with the default as read only.

Of course trying to open the file as read/write will still fail if it is already open as read/write elsewhere.

There is more infomation here

What version of Excel?

What version of Excel?

2010 version

I think the answer is to use a batch file to open the spreadsheet.

See this blog

You could have two batchs files on the desktop. One to open Excel as read only and the other as normal, or if you want to spend a dfew minutes you could make the batch file ask you if you want to open as read only or as read/write with the default as read only.

Of course trying to open the file as read/write will still fail if it is already open as read/write elsewhere.

There is more infomation here

great thanks!

What version of Excel?

2010 version

Just use the Share functionality then. Does exactly what you want (and more?).

What version of Excel?

2010 version

Just use the Share functionality then. Does exactly what you want (and more?).

+1. If it's a network and the file is on one computer, it needs to be shared with everyone.

Right-click on the folder it's in, choose properties, then sharing, then advanced sharing. Now allow everyone full control.

A local install of some collaboration software would manage it and any other similar document and also likely fix other issues you have in regards to data sharing etc. There is a community edition of feng office that would fit the bill.

The Excel 2010 share function is a bit of a kludge at best, especially if users forget to save their changes promptly and before starting work.

I would be inclined to use LibreOffice Base and create a shared MySQL database using EasyPHP or WAMP on one networked PC. This technique is specifically designed to support multiple simultaneous users.

And being a database it can be extended to perform just about every related function any business could want: stock control, billing, client list etc etc.

The Excel 2010 share function is a bit of a kludge at best, especially if users forget to save their changes promptly and before starting work.

I would be inclined to use LibreOffice Base and create a shared MySQL database using EasyPHP or WAMP on one networked PC. This technique is specifically designed to support multiple simultaneous users.

And being a database it can be extended to perform just about every related function any business could want: stock control, billing, client list etc etc.

Thanks, is it easy to use for a beginner?

Thanks, is it easy to use for a beginner?

Easy enough once it is set up. But the setup is for someone who knows what he is doing.

Hugely flexible and powerful once set up though.