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File Opened Read Only Allowed to Save Over Subsequent Version

Laserfiche Ideas
Updated August 13, 2014
posted on August 12, 2014 • Show version history

Here is the scenario:

(1) User A opens an Excel document in the LF client and starts making changes.

(2) Before User A can save any changes, User B opens the same file, receives notice that it is read only, forgets that it is read only and starts making changes, too.

(3) User A closes the file, saving as a new version (version 2).

(4) User B closes the file and is prompted to either Save as New Document or Discard Changes. She wants to save her work so she selects Save as New Document.

(5) User B is then offered the Save to Laserfiche dialogue that defaults to the original LF folder and the original file name.

(6) User B, forgetting she was read only, just knows she does not want a separate file so clicks OK.

(7) Laserfiche prompt offers Add as New Document and Automatically Rename <or> Add as New Version.

(8) User B selects Add as New Version. Since she opened the document before the original User A saved her changes, User B just saved over those changes as Version 3. User A's work is lost unless we pull it from a previous version (perhaps several versions back by the time it is discovered) and synch up the files manually.

 

Obviously, User B needs to pay closer attention to what she is doing, but can LF prevent this the way Excel would have prevented it? Excel will not allow a file opened as Read Only to be saved to the same location with the same file name. Can LF do the same?

 

Has anyone else experienced this?

 

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replied on August 13, 2014

Hi Chris,

 

Actually, I should add that in my testing with Windows, when User B tries to save the file now closed by A, the Save As dialogue offers a file name of "Copy of <file name>" which alerts the user to the fact she had opened the file Read Only. It then goes further and will not allow a file opened as Read Only to be saved to the same location with the same file name. If you back off the "Copy of" and try to save, it says it can't because the file was opened Read Only. So you can't really accidentally overwrite the file.

 

I agree that it is great to have the versions. If LF could at least make the file name default to "Copy of <file name>"  when saving a file originally opened as Read Only, that would help a lot.

 

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

Susan

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replied on August 13, 2014

Hi Susan,

 

Yes this is something I have seen before and I'm afraid the solution for now rolls down to training user A and user B to use the system correctly. Trying to save documents after receiving a notification telling you the document is locked is a bad idea.

 

I don't quite understand however the difference between this and windows. Lets say in windows on the T: drive for example (or any network drive).

 

  1. User A opens an excel file
  2. User B opens the same excel file and gets the read only notification
  3. User A makes changes and saves the file while user B still has the file open
  4. User B then makes changes and selects 'save as' and clicks the original location. User B is still able to overwrite the document as it is no longer locked by user A.

 

Well spotted Susan but I actually think LF handles this better. As at least in LF you can still get to the changes made by user A if it's under version control. In windows the document is overwritten and the changes are gone forever.

 

The only way really LF could stop this happening would be to deny User B from opening the document in the first place (even in read-only mode). Is that something we really want?

 

Hope this helps map out the options Susan. smileyyes

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