Enable to open Excel Online file in Excel desktop

Question

See the attached image. Two of us were in this file today, but the other person got out hours ago. I wanted to open in Excel 2016 (proplus if it matters) to do add some conditional formatting. I got the error that I am unable to open because I am collaborating. I am not obviously. It shows that I am the only one here.

It typically allows me to open in Excel on the desktop about 10-15min after I close the file on the web.

If I close the web browser then try to open in Excel, I get the following error:

It takes about 10-15min for the server to figure out no one is really there and then allow me to really edit it.

I put this in Sharepoint. Not sure if that is right, but there was no place for Excel Online.

Answer 1

Hi EdHansberry,

To better understand the situation, I’d like to confirm the following things:

1.Where is the Excel file stored in, consumer OneDrive, OneDrive for Business library or SharePoint Online team site library?

2.By “try to open in Excel”, do you mean open the file in the synced folder on your computer?

3.Create a test Excel file and store it in the same location, check if it encounters the same issue. It let us know if the issue is related a specific file.

4.Open **Excel>File>Account>**capture a screenshot of Product Information.

5.Which browser do you use? Please change to another browser and check if the issue occurs.

Best regards,

Tim

Answer 2

1. The file is on a Sharepoint team site in Office 365.
2. THe first image is when I was in the web browser version of Excel and clicked the "Open In Excel" link in the black bar at the top of the spreadsheet. That is where the error is coming from - the browser via a Sharepoint/365 notification.
3. This not the first time this has happened to us. The general flow of the problem is:
   1. 2 or more people get in an Excel file online.
   2. Everybody but one leaves.
   3. that last person decides to switch to Desktop excel for the remainder of the session.
   4. Sharepoint throws up that silly message that says "I'm sorry Janet, but Janet is in this file right now."
   5. After you close the web browser, within 10-15 min the person can open the file in Excel 2016 via their Sharepoint libraries on their desktop without getting the error that someone else (themselves!) are editing it.
4. I am using Excel from Office Pro Plus and have build 16.0.7070.2026. But this has happened with earlier builds, and non-insider builds. This is a Sharepoint issue not releasing the exclusive lock.
5. We use chrome. You couldn't pay us to use Internet Explorer to work in Excel sessions long enough to get this problem to repeat. Office 365 is compatible with Chrome, which is the number one browser by share so this should work, and 75% of the time or more, it does work.

Answer 3

Hi EdHansberry,

Thanks for your updates.

When a workbook is edited by a user in Excel Online, SharePoint Services puts a write lock on the workbook on the server. The write lock times out after 10 minutes. Another user cannot modify the workbook in Excel client during the time when the workbook is locked.

As workarounds, we suggest you try the following:

1.    Refresh the online workbook page and click EDIT IN EXCEL.

2.    Wait 10 minutes before you click EDIT IN EXCEL to open the workbook again.

Regards,

Yoga

Answer 4

Thanks Yoga. I'll try the "refresh" workaround. I hope someone is looking at the logic of this. When a user presses "Edit in Excel" and that is the only user in the file, Sharepoint should release the lock so the user can open the file at the time the button is pressed.