XL97: Err Msg: "<Filename> cannot be accessed. The file may be read-only..."

ID: Q182671

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

When you try to open a Microsoft Excel 97 file, you may receive the following error message

filename cannot be accessed. The file may be read-only, or you may be trying to access a read-only location. Or, the server the document is stored on may not be responding.
where filename is the name of the file you are attempting to open.


CAUSE

This problem may occur when the following conditions are true:

  1. The file has been saved to a Novell network volume.

    -and-

  2. The file has become damaged.


RESOLUTION

If you are experiencing this issue on a Novell network, more information is available from Novell. Please reference Technical Document Number 2939659 at http://support.novell.com.

If the fix from Novell does not eliminate the problem, then please contact Microsoft for more information. A supported fix that corrects this problem is now available from Microsoft, but it has not been fully regression tested and should be applied only to systems experiencing this specific problem. If you are not severely affected by this specific problem, Microsoft recommends that you wait for the next release of Microsoft Office that contains this fix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the fix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information on support costs, please go to the following address on the World Wide Web:

http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/overview/overview.asp


WORKAROUND

You may also choose to work around this problem rather than applying a patch. In this case, follow these steps to edit a workbook stored on a Novell server:

  1. Copy your Microsoft Excel workbook from your network server to your local hard disk.


  2. Edit the local copy of the workbook.


  3. Copy the workbook from your local hard disk back to the network server.


NOTE: You should still keep backup copies of all of your important files.


STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.


MORE INFORMATION

If you receive this error message, the file you are attempting to save has become damaged. You can attempt to recover the information from the file by using the methods in the following articles:

Q75818 XL: Linking to Data in a Damaged File (4.0 and Earlier)

Q147216 XL: Linking to Data in a Damaged File (5.0 and Later)

Q142117 Excel: Summary of Methods to Recover Data from Corrupted Files
The third-party contact information included in this article is provided to help you find the technical support you need. This contact information is subject to change without notice. Microsoft in no way guarantees the accuracy of this third-party contact information.

The third-party products discussed here are manufactured by vendors independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these products' performance or reliability.

Additional query words: XL97 read only corruption 


Keywords          : kberrmsg 
Version           : WINDOWS:97
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbbug

Last Reviewed: July 21, 1999