Err Msg: You Cannot Save While File in Use by Another Process

ID: Q93922

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c, 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
Microsoft Word for Windows NT, version 6.0
Microsoft Word for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a

SYMPTOMS

The following error message occurs when you save a file to a floppy disk, remove that floppy disk from the disk drive, insert a second floppy disk, and then save the file again to the second floppy disk using the same filename:

Word, version 2.x

   You cannot save while the file is in use by another process.
   Try saving the file with a new name.

Word, version 6.x, 7.x

   Check the floppy drive to make sure the door is closed and it contains
   the correct disk. (<drive>:\<filename>)

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the versions of Word listed above. This problem does not occur in Word for the Macintosh. In Word for the Macintosh, when you attempt to remove the disk while the document is open, you get the following warning message:

   The disk <diskname> could not be put away because it contains items
   that are in use.

WORKAROUND

When the above error message appears, choose the OK button and type a new filename in the Save As dialog box.

Word, version 2.0 only

Or, do the following:

1. When the above error message appears, choose the OK button.

2. In the Save As dialog box, choose the Cancel button.

2. Close the document.

3. From the File menu, choose Open.

4. In the Drives box, select the floppy disk drive.

5. In the File Name box, type "*.*" (without the quotation marks).

6. Select the file with a .TMP extension (the temporary file) and choose

   the OK button.

7. From the File menu, choose Save As.

8. In the File Name box, type the name of the original file and choose the

   OK button.

  Note: The temporary file is a copy of the file you first saved. Word
  created this file when you attempted to save the file on the second
  floppy disk.

For information on problems you may experience while saving Word documents on floppy disks, query on the following words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   temporary and file and tmp and floppy and disk and

Steps to Reproduce Problem

1. In a new document, type some text.

2. Save the file to a disk in the floppy disk drive.

3. Remove the disk from the floppy disk drive.

4. Place a new disk in the floppy disk drive.

5. Save the file again to the new disk.

KBCategory: kbother KBSubcategory: Additional query words: 2.0 2.0a 2.0a-CD 2.0b 2.0c winword2 winword word6 word7 word95 7.0 7.0a 6.0 6.0a 6.0c ntword Version : 2.0 2.0a 2.0a-CD 2.0b 2.0c

Last Reviewed: July 30, 1997