Excel: Contents of README-NETWORK from Excel 4.0

Last reviewed: February 2, 1998
Article ID: Q88265
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 4.0

SUMMARY

Below is the contents of the README--NETWORK which is located on the Disk 1-Setup diskette and is also placed in the folder to which Microsoft Excel is installed. The text describes various considerations when installing or using Excel 4.0 for the Macintosh in a networked environment.

Setting Up and Using Microsoft Excel on a Network

Contents

Optimizing System Software Version 7.0 for Installing and Using Applications

Setting Up Microsoft Excel on a Network:

  • Installing Microsoft Excel on a Server

        - To install so others can install Microsoft Excel from the server
        - To install so others can run Microsoft Excel from the server
        - Installing Microsoft Excel on a Workstation
        - To install so Microsoft Excel runs from a local workstation
        - To install so Microsoft Excel runs from a network server
    

Using Microsoft Excel On a Network:
  • Using Microsoft Excel in a Workgroup
  • Sharing Documents on a Network
  • System and Network Document Protections
  • Microsoft Excel Document Protections

        - To open a shared document
    

Optimizing System Software Version 7.0 for Installing and Using Applications

If you use system software version 7.0 in a networked environment, you should consider installing the System 7 Tune-Up utility. This will improve installation and general performance times of your applications. To obtain the current version of this utility, contact your Apple dealer or Macintosh user group.

Setting Up Microsoft Excel on a Network

You can install Microsoft Excel for a network using either of two methods. One method allows network users to install and run Microsoft Excel on their local workstations -- a convenient alternative to installing from floppy disks. The other method sets up network users' local workstations so they can run Microsoft Excel from the server -- useful if workstation disk space is a concern. In either case, setting up Microsoft Excel on a network is a two-step process: first install Microsoft Excel on the network server; then set up the workstations.

Before you set up Microsoft Excel, the network must be operational, and you must have read-write access to the network folder in which you want to install Microsoft Excel. For more information, see your network software documentation.

Each workstation should have at least 2 MB of RAM in order to run the Microsoft Excel program.

This document assumes that you know how to use network software to connect to network drives and how to find files stored on network computers.

Note: Every Microsoft Excel user must have a Microsoft Excel license. A license is obtained by buying a retail package or a Microsoft License Pack. For more information on network use restrictions, see your Microsoft Excel license agreement.

Installing Microsoft Excel on a Server

Before installing Microsoft Excel on a workstation, you must install it on the network server.

To install so others can install Microsoft Excel from the server:

  1. Insert Disk 1-Setup in the server's floppy disk drive.

  2. In the Microsoft Excel folder, double-click the Microsoft Excel Setup icon.

  3. Type your name and the name of your organization, and then choose the OK button.

    Each name can be no longer than 31 characters.

  4. On the next Setup screen, choose the OK button to verify the information.

        -or-
    

    Choose the Change button to return to the previous screen and make changes.

    Setup asks what type of installation you want to perform.

  5. Choose the Network button and select the "Allow users to install from the server" option.

  6. Choose the OK button.

  7. Choose the drive and folder you want to use as the server and choose the OK button.

  8. Follow the remaining instructions on the screen.

  9. When Setup is complete, choose the OK button to exit Setup.

To install so others can run Microsoft Excel from the server:

  1. Insert Disk 1-Setup in the server's floppy disk drive.

  2. In the Microsoft Excel folder, double-click the Microsoft Excel Setup icon.

  3. Type your name and the name of your organization, and then choose the OK button.

    Each name can be no longer than 31 characters.

  4. On the next Setup screen, choose the OK button to verify the information.

        -or-
    

    Choose the Change button to return to the previous screen and make changes.

    Setup asks what type of installation you want to perform.

  5. Choose the Network button and select the "Allow users to run Microsoft Excel from the server" option.

  6. Choose the OK button.

  7. Choose the drive and folder you want to use as the server and choose the OK button.

  8. Follow the remaining instructions on the screen.

  9. When Setup is complete, choose the OK button to exit Setup.

Note: After installing Microsoft Excel on the server you should make the Microsoft Excel folder read-only to prevent users from unintentionally overwriting files. For more information, see your operating system documentation.

Installing Microsoft Excel on a Workstation

After installing Microsoft Excel on the network server, you can install it on a workstation. You perform the following procedures from the local workstation on which you are installing Microsoft Excel. Before installing Microsoft Excel on any workstations, you must be in compliance with the terms of your Microsoft Excel license agreement.

To install so Microsoft Excel runs from a local workstation:

This method of installation from a network server is a time-saving, convenient alternative to installing Microsoft Excel from disks.

This procedure assumes you have completed the procedure, "To install so others can install Microsoft Excel from the server," above.

  1. From the workstation, log on to the network and connect to the drive that contains the folder containing Microsoft Excel Setup.

    This is the same drive and folder in which you installed Microsoft Excel using the procedure, "To install so others can install Microsoft Excel from the server," above.

  2. Double-click the Microsoft Excel Setup icon.

  3. Type your name, and then choose the OK button.

    The name can be no longer than 31 characters.

  4. Choose the OK button to verify the information.

        -or-
    

    Choose the Change button to return to the previous screen and make changes.

  5. On the next Setup screen, choose the button that corresponds to the installation you want to perform: Complete, Custom, Minimum, or Network. (Choose the Network button only if you want to install Microsoft Excel on another network server.)

  6. On the next Setup screen, choose the folder in which you want to install Microsoft Excel.

        -or-
    

    Choose the New Folder button, enter a name for the new folder, and choose the Create button.

  7. Choose the Setup button.

  8. When Setup is complete, choose the OK button to exit Setup.

To install so Microsoft Excel runs from a network server:

This procedure assumes you have completed the procedure, "To install so others can run Microsoft Excel from the server," above.

  1. From the workstation, log on to the network and connect to the drive that contains the folder containing Microsoft Excel Setup.

    This is the same drive and folder in which you installed Microsoft Excel using the procedure, "To install so others can run Microsoft Excel from the server," above.

  2. Double-click the Microsoft Excel Setup icon.

    Setup displays the name of the person/organization to whom Microsoft Excel is licensed.

  3. Choose the OK button to continue.

    Setup asks what type of installation you want to perform.

  4. Choose the button that corresponds to the type of installation you want to perform: Complete, Custom, or Minimum.

    Setup displays the space required, space available, and the name of the hard disk on which you are installing Microsoft Excel.

  5. Choose the Setup button to proceed with the installation.

  6. When Setup is complete, choose the OK button to exit Setup.

Using Microsoft Excel on a Network

Using Microsoft Excel on a network is essentially the same as using Microsoft Excel from a hard disk on an individual computer. On the network, you can make a document available to other users and allow them to make changes to the file, or you can protect the file from changes. You can use the network server to store and exchange documents between users.

Sharing Documents on a Network

By linking a document on a workstation to a shared document on the network, you can automatically update information in the workstation document when it changes in the shared document. You can link Microsoft Excel documents with each other and with documents created in other applications such as Microsoft Word. For information, see Chapter 3 in Book 2 of the Microsoft Excel User's Guide.

You can protect documents that are shared on a network from unintentional changes. Such protection can be assigned at the system or network level, and in Microsoft Excel.

System and Network Document Protections

At the system level, you can make a file read-only by choosing the Get Info command from the File menu in the Finder and selecting the Locked box. At the network (AppleShare) level, you can restrict access to a single document or to all documents in a folder. For information about how to assign access permissions, see your system documentation. For example:

  • To allow users to open a document and save changes to it, assign read-write permission for the document. The first user to open a document has control of the original until closing it; other users can open a copy of the document and save changes to it under a different name.
  • To allow users to open a document but not make changes to it under the current name, assign read-only access for the document.
  • To prevent changes to all documents in a folder, assign read-only access for the folder.

Microsoft Excel Document Protections

When opening a Microsoft Excel document that has read-write permission, a user can protect the original document from accidental changes by selecting the Read Only check box in the Open dialog box. This prevents the user from saving changes to the document under its original name. In addition, you can protect a document so that it can be opened only by supplying a password. For information on password protection and opening documents, see Chapter 4 in Book 1 of the Microsoft Excel User's Guide.

To open a shared document:

  1. Log on to the network computer that contains the document you want to open, and start Microsoft Excel.

  2. From the File menu, choose Open.

  3. In the File Name box, select the document you want to open.

  4. If you don't want to make changes to the original shared document, select the Read Only check box.

  5. Choose the OK button.

    If you try to open a document with read-write permission while another user has it open, Microsoft Excel displays a message saying that the document is locked.

  6. If you see this message, choose the OK button to open a read-only copy of the document.

While you have a read-only copy of a locked document open, the first user who opened the document is able to make changes that won't be reflected in the copy you're using. You can't make changes to the original.

When you open a read-only document, a message tells you that the document is read-only. To save changes to a read-only document, save the document under a different name.


Additional query words: 4.00 readme network
Keywords : kbenv
Version : MACINTOSH:4.0
Platform : MACINTOSH
Issue type : kbreadme


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Last reviewed: February 2, 1998
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