Recovery file???

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John Holt - 16 Apr 2008 19:21 GMT

Hello all,

I upgrade my MS Office from 2003 to 2007. Opened an Excel file and saved it
as a new workbook. Now I have this hidden file with the name of my file
preceeded with ~$ and xlsx extension that refuses to go away. If I delete
it, it appears to go away then as soon as I refresh, it's back. My files are
in my data folder on a network drive. The file is NOT open. My workstation
has been re-booted but the server with the user data files has not.

Anyone know how I can get rid of that file WITHOUT re-booting my server???

Thanks,
John

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Dave Peterson - 16 Apr 2008 20:39 GMT

This is not something that excel does.

But it sounds suspiciously like what MSWord does.

Could that file have been opened in MSWord by mistake.

It should disappear when the user closes the file normally. I've never seen
these files fail to be deleted--if the file is not open in MSWord.

Can you ask the IT help desk for some help?

> Hello all,
>
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> Thanks,
> John

Signature

Dave Peterson

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Jim Rech - 16 Apr 2008 21:19 GMT

Actually this does seem to be the new way that Excel 2007 tracks open files.
What happens if you save an new empty workbook with the same name as the
hidden file (minus the ~$ of course)? And then close it. I wonder if Excel
would connect them?

Signature

Jim

| Hello all,
|
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
| Thanks,
| John

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John Holt - 16 Apr 2008 21:50 GMT

Thanks for the reply Jim,
No, it didn't connect them. Saved the file just fine though.:)
I'm sure it will go away when I re-boot the server. Sure would be nice not
to have to do that though.

> Actually this does seem to be the new way that Excel 2007 tracks open
> files.
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
> | Thanks,
> | John

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Dave Peterson - 16 Apr 2008 23:27 GMT

Do you think the file is locked and is failing to be deleted or do you think the
file is being recreated by something?

Does the date accessed/modified/created change?

There are some free utilities that will delete files even if they're locked.

I've never used these (on a local drive or on a network drive), but you may want
to look at these:

http://lifehacker.com/software/featured-windows-download/determine-what-app-has-
locked-a-file-with-wholockme-267243.php

http://lifehacker.com/software/how-to/delete-a-locked-file-in-windows-266433.php

If either help, please post back.

Even though I don't know what I'm saying with xl2007, I'm still curious.

> Thanks for the reply Jim,
> No, it didn't connect them. Saved the file just fine though.:)
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
> > | Thanks,
> > | John

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Dave Peterson

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Jim Rech - 17 Apr 2008 12:16 GMT

I tried the Unlocker utility mentioned. Does the trick!

http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/

Signature

Jim

| Do you think the file is locked and is failing to be deleted or do you think the
| file is being recreated by something?
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
| I've never used these (on a local drive or on a network drive), but you may want
| to look at these:

http://lifehacker.com/software/featured-windows-download/determine-what-app-has-
locked-a-file-with-wholockme-267243.php

http://lifehacker.com/software/how-to/delete-a-locked-file-in-windows-266433.php

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Dave Peterson - 17 Apr 2008 12:57 GMT

Lifehacker.com often mentions some very nice utilities.

You may want to bookmark the site--you know, when you're supposed to be working!

> I tried the Unlocker utility mentioned. Does the trick!
>
[quoted text clipped - 64 lines]
> |
> | Dave Peterson

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Dave Peterson

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Dave Peterson - 16 Apr 2008 23:13 GMT

Oops. Thanks for the correction, Jim.

I'll stay away from these pesky xl2007 questions.

> Actually this does seem to be the new way that Excel 2007 tracks open files.
> What happens if you save an new empty workbook with the same name as the
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> | Thanks,
> | John

Signature

Dave Peterson

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Jim Rech - 17 Apr 2008 00:11 GMT

>>I'll stay away from these pesky xl2007 questions.

Now that's not the 'take away' here, Dave<g>.

I'd like to understand the new temp files better though. Unlike XLS files
XLSX files do not get re-date stamped temporarily when opened but the temp
file appears. So it seems that the temp file is now the marker that the
file is open. However if you create an artificial temp file ahead of time
(a ~$Book1.xlsx) and open Book1.xlsx Excel 2007 doesn't object and it
doesn't create a temp file. But it doesn't use the artificial temp file
either because you can delete it (unlike a real one) with Book1.xlsx still
open.

But here's the mystery, if you do delete the bogus temp file and then open
Book1.xlsx in another instance of Excel it tells you "another user" has it
open. How does it know that? And if it knows it without the temp file what
is the temp file for? There, now you know everything I know, which ain't
much<g>.

Signature

Jim

> Oops. Thanks for the correction, Jim.
>
[quoted text clipped - 30 lines]
>> | Thanks,
>> | John

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Bruce Sinclair - 17 Apr 2008 00:25 GMT

>>>I'll stay away from these pesky xl2007 questions.
>
>Now that's not the 'take away' here, Dave<g>.
>
>I'd like to understand the new temp files better though.

Sounds like a good idea ... but surely MS has published this information
somewhere haven't they ? Assuming they have, wouldn't it be more useful to
get the data than speculate ? ... as fun as that is of course. :)

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Jim Rech - 17 Apr 2008 11:55 GMT

>> wouldn't it be more useful to get the data than speculate ?

But that's exactly what I was doing, Bruce! By parading my ignorance and
ponderings I was opening the door for someone to step in with the answers.

Wait, lets see what Bruce has to say...

>>surely MS has published this information somewhere

Gee, thanks Bruce<g>

Signature

Jim

| >>>I'll stay away from these pesky xl2007 questions.
| >
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
| somewhere haven't they ? Assuming they have, wouldn't it be more useful to
| get the data than speculate ? ... as fun as that is of course. :)

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Dave Peterson - 17 Apr 2008 02:11 GMT

The real take-away may be to actually start using xl2007 <vvbg>. (But learning
something new hurts soooo much!)

Anyway...

I start up VPC and xl2007. Then I created a book1.xlsx and saved it onto my
desktop. Fiddled with the windows setting to see those hidden files.

The book1.xlsx is abou 7kb. The ~$Book1.xlsx is 165 bytes.

The onliest(!) way I could open this bleeping file was to kill excel/windows. I
didn't have anything that could open the file while it was in use.

But it looks like it just contains the username and the username characters
separated by x00's.

> >>I'll stay away from these pesky xl2007 questions.
>
[quoted text clipped - 55 lines]
> >
> > Dave Peterson

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Dave Peterson

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Jim Rech - 17 Apr 2008 11:51 GMT

>>But it looks like it just contains the username

You'd then think a second instance of Excel would report the name of the
person (me) who has the file open rather than 'another user'. Maybe it's a
bug<g>.

Signature

Jim

| The real take-away may be to actually start using xl2007 <vvbg>. (But learning
| something new hurts soooo much!)
[quoted text clipped - 71 lines]
| > >
| > > Dave Peterson

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