SharePoint / OneDrive file sync issues when users open the same file
Challenge Scenario:
One of your colleagues will open a file (e.g. a word document), which is stored in SharePoint* and synced to their OneDrive folder, and will start making edits, in the desktop app.
*Remember that files in your Teams channels that are synced to OneDrive are stored in SharePoint
Another colleague also has the same file open, but the system isn't alerting either user that someone else has the file open.
When one user saves their changes, the system creates a separate file, with a suffix in the filename (the user's PC name). Now we have two versions of the file, and the changes haven't been merged.
How to prevent this challenge?
- For this to work the users must be connected to the internet. A poor network connection can also cause challenges similar to this.
- If you are offline, when you reconnect it will prompt you to keep the file and overwrite or create a new version.
- Anytime you edit a file in OneDrive/SharePoint sync from your machine, it will connect online first, if that's not available it will work from your local cache.
- There are always prompts if a file is locked for editing by an older client that doesn't support co-auth, or they turn "auto save" feature off, but the users have to careful or else you end up with duplicated files.
- in the User's OneDrive settings, make sure that the following are the selected options in the Office tab. You'll see two options regarding how conflicts are handled, you want to select the option Let me choose to merge changes or keep both copies.
- Changes are only synced when you CLOSE the document and not just save. You will get a sync error saying the file is in use.
- Users can allow for one person to edit a file at a time. To do this you have to turn off auto save when opening the file. But keep in mind nothing can prevent anyone from opening a file offline.
Check into this GPO https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/use-group-policy#convert-synced-team-site-files-to-online-...
This in theory should set all synced shared files to online-only. This will essentially do the same thing as trying to map the drives by giving you file explorer access to the files in online-only mode. Otherwise, you should just tell people go to the SharePoint locations via web instead of relying on file shares to open the files direct only
There are lots of variables at play, specially when using the sync client with larger groups of people or on documents that are high traffic.