I have a new Toshiba laptop with Windows XP Home edition, and I have
installed Microsoft Office 97. I am editing and translating texts and
putting them in Microsoft Word files. Whenever I click to open one of
these files, it comes up on the screen, but so does a Microsoft Word
window that says "(the name of my file) is being used by (my full
name). Do you want to make a copy?" I can choose "yes" or "cancel".
When I cancel, the window goes away and I go to work. But it is
tiresome and I have no idea why this comes up, how this (my full
name)got her name in there and is always using all the files I'm
trying to work on. I have talked to Toshiba and they say I must have
customized my system when I set it up or registered it, but this was
six months ago, and I can't remember anything about it. I think I
probably was asked if I wanted to do something (I think I remember my
computer calling me by name!), and I guess I said yes, not knowing
what I was doing. Until just recently I could see (my full name)
listed in the organization of folders I see now and then (not sure
when: I hardly know anything about computers except how to create and
edit text and put them in folders). But today when I tried to find my
name in that organization list (Desktop, My documents, etc) I couldn't
find it. My sense is that this situation has to do with the networking
capabilities of my computer, but I don't network! By the way, I called
Microsoft but they said Toshiba should help me on this because they
sold Mic XP to me with the computer. Toshiba says they can't help
because it is an issue that has to do with customizing (but can't tell
me how I did it or where to look) and that they would have to charge
me for help.

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Request for Question Clarification by bio-ga on 16 Jan 2003 17:07 PST

Hi,

Just like Toshiba reps said, it can be something that you do while
customizing your copy of MS Word. Search your hard disk for a file
named "normal.dot" and rename it (to, for example, "normal.old") and
let's see if this solves your problem. If there are several files with
the name "normal.dot", rename them all.

Please let us know about the result.

Regards
Bio

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Clarification of Question by andre8291-ga on 18 Jan 2003 08:43 PST

Thank you so much for your comments and suggestion. I feel we're on
the right track, but nothing works so far. bio, I tried changing the
normal.dot to normal.old (only one file came up) but it didn't solve
the problem, and it made me nervous because it changed the word icon
to another icon I don't recognize (I've seen it before but don't know
what it means). Also there was a warning about changing file
extensions and that it is done, the file may not work. Anyway, I tried
it, to no avail. Jumpinjo: yours sounded right on, I'm sure it is. I
tried removing the check by 'read only' and then I clicked ok as you
said, but then it didn't do the trick and when I went back it was
checked again. So then I clicked 'apply' and then got the window
saying did I want just this folder done or all subfolders, etc. I said
all subfolders (actually I tried both I think) and then was brought
back to the other window where my check was still gone, and I clicked
ok. Then I tried my files (in My Documents as you suggested) but still
got the same old 'file be used by...) window. When I went back to
check on that read me check, it was there again!!! Persistent! What do
you think about that??? You're so right about My Documents being under
my name. Now I know how to find it and understand the line-up better.
And don't worry, I'll definitely consider whatever help you give me as
answers and pay you. Do you have any other ideas? Thanks very much,
and good luck to sublime in solving his same problem.

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Clarification of Question by andre8291-ga on 18 Jan 2003 08:50 PST

I forgot to answer the question about loading up the documents twice.
I'm not sure exactly what that means, but I'm just copying them from
attachments from emails, and only once as far as I know. But my sense
is that they go into my hard drive as "documents and settings/my
documents" AND as "documents and settings/(my name)/my documents. Or
something like that. Can't we remove one of those from the hard drive
somehow? Thanks again.

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Clarification of Question by andre8291-ga on 20 Jan 2003 06:17 PST

Although a few days ago (jan 18) I 'posted clarification,' I'm not
sure this means I have actually sent my response back to the three
comments I received on my Jan 16 question. Could somebody let me know
if you got it? I'm not sure I know how how to use this service yet.
Thanks!

I can tell you why you're sometimes seeing your name and sometimes
not.

You'll have entered your name the very first time you turned your
computer on. Windows XP automatically sets up your computer so that it
can be used by multiple users. This means that someone else in your
household could easily set up another sign-in under their name. When
your computer turned on it would display your name and their name for
you to choose who is using the computer. You could then each have your
own icons on the desktop, programs on the start menu etc. You would
also each have your 'My Documents' folder. These two folders would be
stored on the hard drive as two separate folders:

c:\documents and settings\john doe\my documents
c:\documents and settings\jane doe\my documents

BUT when you signed in as John Doe you would simply see 'My
Documents'. That's what's happening with you, you're signing in as
John Doe every time you turn your computer on, but as you're the only
user you just get signed in automatically without realising. You thus
only see 'My Documents' when you click on 'My Computer'. You can see
your name if you double click My Computer, then the c: drive, then
Documents and Settings, then if you double click on your name you'll
have found the true location of the My Documents. Normally when you go
into My Documents you're being lied to.

So when Word tells you that the document is in use by you, it simply
means just that, that someone signed in as you and used the document.

I have one suggestion to make the message disappear, but it's a guess
and I don't know if it will work - so for now you can keep your ten
bucks. If it does work, and you're really kind, you'd put a message up
here invititing me to submit the above as an answer so I get paid ;-)

Open a window that contains the documents you work on, eg open My
Documents, or your floppy disk.

Right click on a file that's going to cause you the problem.

On the little submenu, click 'Properties'

A screen will open, if the tick box next to the phrase 'Read Only' has
a tick in, then click on the tick to make it disappear, then click OK.
The problem should now be solved. If the box isn't ticked, then click
on Cancel, and your problem lies elsewhere.

another thought - 

Are you loading up the same document twice? Don't.

andre8291...

This may not be as simple as it might seem. I have the same
problem, except that the user that the message says already
has the document open is from a separate installation of 
Windows on a separate partition on a separate hard drive.
For some reason, when I moved the files from 'My Documents'
under one name on one disk to a different name on a different
disk, it resulted in producing this message - even though
the initial user's 'My Documents' folder is now empty. I'm
sure it does have something to do with an ownership issue,
but not sure how to resolve it - yet.

andre8291...

When you post a clarification, only those who, themselves, have
posted clarifications will receive email notification of your post.
Those who submit remarks through the 'comments' section will not
receive email notification, but may (or not) be monitoring the
question for changes by having bookmarked it, or by the fact that,
when it is modified, it moves to the top of the list of unanswered
questions. Even those who are monitoring the question may have
come to understand that your problem is, as I said, more difficult
than it would seem at first glance. I have come to live with the
identical issue on my computer, but, due to your distress, I made
an effort to track down the problem - with no success.

As for your clarification: "But my sense is that they go into my
 hard drive as 'documents and settings/my documents' AND as 
 'documents and settings/(my name)/my documents'....Can't we
 remove one of those from the hard drive somehow?"

In short, no. The 'My Documents' folder simply mirrors the 
content for the user who is currently signed in, and is 
identical (the same) as the folder named 'documents and
settings/(my name)/my documents'. You can experiment with
this by moving a document from the former and watching it
disappear from the latter, or vice-versa.

But don't give up yet! The answer could be just around the
corner, so to speak.

Here is a link to Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - 174304 it
contains all the info you need to solve your problem.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;174304

andre8291...

I just wanted to let you know that, while the comment by
simplyinsane80-ga seemed very relevant and promising, it
turned out not to solve the problem on my machine. While
it is certainly a good idea to have the latest Service
Packs installed for Microsoft Office 97, and I recommend
that you install them if they are absent on your machine,
I just wanted to warn you that it might not solve your
problem. Then again, maybe it *will* work on your machine.
Keep us posted!

Make sure you have renamed named "normal.dot" first as suggested above
first then:
Go to Start Button, Click on Run and type regedit in the open box &
press enter.
In the Left panel - click on the plus sign [+] to the left of each of
the following folders to expand to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word\Data 
With Data highlighted (blue) press the Delete key & click Yes to
confirm the deletion.
Close regedit by clicking on the X in top right.
Go to Start Button, Click on Run and type the following & press enter
key:
Winword.exe /unregserver
 
Go to Start Button, Click on Run for the third time and type the
following & press enter key:
Winword.exe /regserver
When you go to open a document with Word97 you will no longer get
error message.

Uninstall Microsoft Works. It comes with a program that keeps track of
MS Office documents on your computer - and therefore retains access to
them. Since Office 97 was not created with this in mind, you need to
choose one or the other.

If you get a message saying YOU are the current user, you can
be sure the file is crashed. In that case...close all your
programs/files, go to your TEMP directory and clear out all the file.
Then search and destroy all ~*.tmp files on your hard drive to remove
old crashed files that got caught in the system. Reboot and this should
fix the problem. Here's an article you should read to help you clear out
your system: www.mousetrax.com/maintain.html