Changes Lost or Cannot Save Changes

• Microsoft Windows for Workgroups version 3.1

SUMMARY

Many MS-DOS-based and Windows-based applications handle files in a way that allows data loss to occur in a peer-to-peer multitasking environment. Data loss can occur if an application opens and closes a data file that is being edited. This includes some network-aware applications that make no provisions for a peer-to-peer environment, and instead assume all networks follow the client/server model.

MORE INFORMATION

When you open a file, Windows for Workgroups assigns ownership of that file to you. If your application closes the file once it has loaded it into system memory (RAM), Windows for Workgroups no longer thinks the file is owned by you or anyone else. This allows another user to access and modify the file. The same can be true for files and applications run on remote servers, again dependent on the application.

Windows for Workgroups (as with other networking environments) allows other users, locally and remotely, to access and modify files if they are not locked. When you attempt to save changes to a data file, you may be denied access if another user has opened the file, or, if another user has modified the file, the changes made will be lost when you save your changes. Applications written assuming they will only be run on a single-tasking, non-networked platform encounter these problems occasionally.

If you are not able to save changes because another user is accessing your data file, try to save your changes under a different filename. Depending on the application and the data file in question, integrating the two files may be difficult.

Manually lock your data files using a file-locking utility such as the MS-DOS command ATTRIB. You only need to lock files that other users can access (those that are on a shared drive.)