Can't see current file: anyone know what's happening here??

[EdNerd]

We use a lot of server-based Excel files (2007) at work. Many are shared to allow multiple editors. Not sure if this has any application to the problem, but that's the backdrop. And since the template for that file was my baby, I get the calls whenever there are problems.

So one day a user opens one of the files, and it's a days-old version. Other users open it, and it's current. Just to make sure it's not a bad shortcut, we navigate to the server and drill down through the directories to the file. On her computer, it's an old version - on other computers, it's the current file! And there are no other XL files in that directory. And no other problems with any other file - just that one.

IT rebuilt her profile (Win 7) - no go. Reinstalled Office - no go. Finally did a wipe and reimage, and it worked. Kind of a hard way to go!! Then a few days later, I heard about another user with the same issue.

I know computer files aren't like a physical document that you pull out of a drawer and slap on the desktop. It's scattered bits of 1s and 0s, and "file names" are pointers to where to find these and assemble them correctly.

So what would cause one user's machine to get stuck pointing to a previous version of one and only one file, and get stuck at a basic level below the user's profile? Any suggestions?

Ed

 

[palmtree5]

Could the issue be server-side? (just throwing a thought out there)

 

[lunatic59]

Did the user with the problem save or save as? Excel will cache data locally, but I'm not sure what it does with files shared over a local network.

 

[EdNerd]

Hard to see a server-side issue, since other users could navigate to the same folder and interact with the desired file, and it was always the correct version. And hard to see an Excel Save/SaveAs issue - Office was deleted and reinstalled after her complete user profile was destroyed and rebuilt.

It's as though something got inside her computer (but where??) and said "This pointer shall go here." And somehow locked onto a backed-up copy of the file maybe?? The address in the folder menu bar was correct, and the XL file was there ... it just wasn't right!

Intersting. And scarey!
Ed

 

[Dngrsone]

It does sound like a caching issue... I don't know where Office would cache it, though.

Maybe use the disk cleanup tools to remove all temp files?