"File Already Exists" or "Low Memory" Errors Appear When Saving

ID: Q166671

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

When you save a file from any Microsoft Office 97 program to a Microsoft Windows 95 folder, you receive the following error message

The file <filename> already exists. Do you want to replace existing file?
where <filename> is the name of the file you are saving.

If you click Yes, you receive either of the following error messages:
Cannot save <filename>. The folder is marked as 'Read-Only'.
-or-
Document saved successfully. Cannot reopen the saved document due to low memory. Please close the document.


CAUSE

The first error message occurs if the following conditions are true:

The other error messages appear if the following conditions are true: This behavior occurs when the folder is assigned user-level security under Microsoft Windows 95, and you (the user) are assigned Custom access rights that do not include "Write to Files" permission. This behavior does not occur when you use share-level security under Microsoft Windows 95.


RESOLUTION

To resolve this behavior, change the folder permissions to include "Write to Files" permission.

NOTE: If the folder is on a network server, contact your network administrator.

To change the permissions for the Microsoft Windows 95 folder, follow these steps:

  1. In Microsoft Windows Explorer, right-click the folder and click Sharing on the shortcut menu.


  2. In the Properties dialog box, click the Sharing tab.


  3. Click Shared As and type in the Share Name box. If you want, type a comment in the Comments box.


  4. If your user name is not in the Name box, click Add to add it. In the Add Users dialog box, type your user name in the Name box, click Custom, and then click OK.

    NOTE: To modify permissions for an existing user name, click the user's name, and then click Edit.


  5. In the Change Access Rights dialog box, click to select the "Write to Files" check box. Click to select the "Create Files and Folders" and "Read Files" check boxes. Click OK.


  6. Click OK to close the Properties dialog box.


Note: If you are not assigned "Delete Files" permission for a folder, a temporary file may be left in the folder when you save a file. The result is that twice as many files are stored in the folder than if you were assigned the "Delete Files" permission. If "Delete Files" permission is not assigned to you, the following error message appears:
"Document saved successfully. Cannot reopen the saved document due to low memory. Please close the document."
Note that the file is saved in the folder.


STATUS

This behavior is by design of Microsoft Windows 95. You must have "Write to Files" permission for a folder to avoid receiving these error messages when you save a file to a folder that uses Custom permissions.


MORE INFORMATION

This behavior does not occur under Microsoft Windows 95 when the folder is assigned share-level security. The behavior occurs only when the folder uses user-level security under Microsoft Windows 95 and you are assigned Custom permissions that do not include "Write to Files" permission.


REFERENCES

For more information about file and folder permissions under Windows 95, click Help on the Start menu. Click the Index tab in Windows Help, type the following text

permissions, controlling access to shared resources
and then double-click the selected text to go to the "Controlling access to a folder or printer" topic.

Additional query words: 8.00 permission rights folder create read low memory 


Keywords          : kberrmsg offwin 
Version           : WINDOWS:95,97
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: April 26, 1999