# Word document locked for editing by 'another user'



## NickSmith (Oct 9, 2008)

I have a user who when he opens Word documents that were originally created using one of 2 specific templates is told that they are locked and in use. If he just choses the read option he can use them as normal.

He is running Office 2007 on Vista.

This question sums it up and offers a perfectly good solution:

http://www.experts-exchange.com/Software/Office_Productivity/Office_Suites/MS_Office/Q_22680348.html?sfQueryTermInfo=1+lock+templat+word

My problem is that he has been happily creating hundreds of documents for months and really doesn't want to do this with each one. Does anyone have any idea how to perform one big super fix that will fix all the docs?

The templates were originally created in Office 97 I believe and have been upgraded a few times.

This issue only happens with Vista and not XP running Office 2007.


----------



## jimr381 (Jul 20, 2007)

The site you linked to is a paid site and as such I will not be checking it.  Which file is it saying is locked for editing by another user?


----------



## NickSmith (Oct 9, 2008)

Any file originally created using one of the templates. The templates themselves are fine.

Cheers

Nick


----------



## jimr381 (Jul 20, 2007)

Did you double check that the template is not loading when the application is opened via the Templates and Addins dialog box?


----------



## NickSmith (Oct 9, 2008)

I used the following solution:

Choose (Tools | *Templates* and Add-Ins...) and delete the "document *template*" field. It will again auto-attach to each user's Normal *template*.

This solves individual files, however I kind of need a magic bullet as he has thousands of docs that need this doing to....


----------



## jimr381 (Jul 20, 2007)

Record a macro that does the same and give him a button to use?


----------



## NickSmith (Oct 9, 2008)

Sounds like a cool plan, but as you may have guessed Word isn't my thing so have no idea where to start. Time to hit Google...


----------

