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You receive an error message when you try to save a file in Excel

Article ID: 214073 - View products that this article applies to.

This article was previously published under Q214073

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SYMPTOMS

When you save a document in Microsoft Excel, one of the following error messages may appear.

Message 1

Cannot access read-only document filename

Message 2

Disk is full.

Message 3

Document not saved.

Message 4

Document not completely saved.

Message 5

Document not saved. Any previously saved copy has been deleted.

The document is not saved.

Message 6

Filename.xls is locked for editing by 'user name'. Click 'Notify' to open a read-only copy of the document and receive notification when the document is no longer in use.

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This problem will occur when the process that Excel uses to save a file is interrupted. For example, if you are saving to an external drive such as a network drive, the connection has been dropped. Or, if you are saving to a removable disk, such as a floppy diskette, the disk has been removed.

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RESOLUTION

To continue working with this file, save the workbook to a different disk drive. You must restore the connection or correct the problem with the original target drive before you can save to that drive again.

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MORE INFORMATION

When you work in a file, Microsoft Excel saves the file with a temporary file name and places this file in the same folder as the original file. When you save your file, the original file is then deleted and the temporary file is renamed with the original file name.

If this process is interrupted, your file may not be saved properly or you may find one or more temporary files in the folder where you tried to save your file. In addition, you may receive one of several alert or error messages.

The following information lists some of the possible messages you may receive and explanations as to why you may receive them.

"Cannot access read-only document <file name>"

The drive you are saving to is a network drive and you do not have sufficient privileges to save to that drive. Save to your local hard disk drive or to a floppy disk drive.

"Disk is full"

The drive you are saving to does not have enough space for the temporary file. Delete some files from the current drive and save to another drive or to a floppy disk drive.

"Document not saved," or "Document not completely saved"

The process was interrupted while creating the temporary file because you pressed ESC, there was some hardware or software failure, or there was another media problem. The original file is still intact and ,unless your computer or workstation failed, the version of the file containing your current changes is still open in memory. Save the file to an alternate drive. If your computer or workstation did fail, you can use the original file. (Note that any changes made in the last revision will be lost.)

"Document not saved. Any previously saved copy has been deleted"

The process was interrupted while deleting the original or renaming the temporary file. This problem will occur for the same reasons as the scenario described in the "'Document not saved,' or 'Document not completely saved'" section. In this case, your original file is gone (though the temporary file may be readable). If your computer or workstation failed, use the temporary file. If the interruption was caused by something else, the version of the file containing your current changes is still open in memory. Save the file to an alternate drive.

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