Here is another nifty tip submitted by a Lockergnome reader who spends a lot of time working in Excel. If you are busy plugging numbers into Excel, you can have another co-worker assist you. One option is to take turns entering in the data and saving the file. You can enter in your numbers, then save the document. Your co-worker can then open the document and enter in the next set of numbers. However, if you do this, it may be faster if you just do it all on your own. So an even better, more efficient option is for both of you to work on the same open spreadsheet and enter in numbers at the same time. This is made possible once you share your workbook.
To share a workbook in Excel 2007:
- Open your Excel workbook.
- On the Review tab, in the Changes group, click Share Workbook.
- On the Editing tab, place a check beside the option to Allow changes by more than one user at the same time. This also allows workbook merging.
- Click the Advanced tab and under Update Changes select Automatically every. You can use the default value of 15 minutes or change this.
- Click OK.
[tags]excel, microsoft office, excel 2007, worksheet[/tags]
Shared Workbooks frequently get corrupted and can set some bad precedents. For example, someone validating data may not realize that that data is being updated by someone else.
What Excel needs is a feature to PREVENT someone else from opening the file AT ALL when it is already open.
Any help there?
Sharing workbooks is a great Excel feature. It does have limitations however. If you are looking to share the worksheets, within a workbook, with a number of users, take a look at the add-in Distributed Spreadsheet. This add-in makes the process of sharing worksheets very easy. It also adds worksheet security along with versioning and update tracking. Worth a look.
I’ve been able to share the workbook, but I haven’t found a way to get the changes to show up without closing and reopening the file. As our company wants to use it for scheduling, it would be kind of a PITA to keep doing that everytime a customer wanted to book an appointment.
Thanks Diana! This cuts my work down by half!!
Where is the editing tab? “allow users to edit ranges” is unselectable.
ahh im frusterated!
Diana you are great.
But can you share the excel file with other computer with internet or with the server of our company