Windows 2003 R2 - Excel creating TMP files

LillyVanilli

I'm having problems with Excel files on my Windows 2003 R2
server. Once some of our users open an Excel file for the second time, the system creates a .TMP file that once created cannot be deleted unless I reboot the server. The TMP file has the same name as the original except it adds something like ~RF1006b01.TMP after the file name.

When viewing the properties of the file you can see the information
about the time of creation, when it was last modified etc, but the
tabs for VERSION, COMPATIBILITY, SUMMARY and most important SECURITY
are missing. This is strange since the file is located on a NTFS
volume and the user who want to view this information has FULL CONTROL
on the file.

When trying to delete the file I get a message that access is denied.

When looking at the currently open files on the server the TMP file is not listed as open.

When trying to delete the file from a DOS BOX I also get an ACCESS IS
DENIED warning.

I tried changing the security on the file, but this also gives an ACCESS IS DENIED. Taking ownership also doesn't work, ACCESS IS DENIED.

I've removed any anti-virus software from one of the users PCs but the problem still exists.

This problem has only surfaced, everything had been working ok.

Is anyone else experiencing a similar problem on a Windows 2003 R2
server with SP2? Or any ideas on how to fix it.

seamus

When you open an excel file, sometimes excel creates a scratch file copy of that excel file, then it locks both the .xls file and the .tmp file. It works in the .tmp file and saves it over to the .xls file when the user clicks "Save".

The "Access is Denied" message probably isn't security-related, but related to the fact that the file is open and locked by the client machine. If you disconnect the client machine's open handles/pipes, you should be able to delete the file.

A quick search reveals the Anti-virus issue that you obviously found.

The only suggestion I can give is a nightly job which disconnects all open handles and deletes TMP files. The only problem you have is that any users who open files and then go home and leave them open will be foaming at the mouth the next day.

LillyVanilli

After the first time the users opens the file, a TMP file is created everytime the file is re-opened, so the file system is filling up pretty quickly. If the user shuts down their PC I still cannot delete the TMP files from the server. It doesnt happen for everyone, it only happens for some users on some PCs. Strange

shayser

I'm having something similar today. When an attempt is made to open the file excel gives the "file open by username, ...read-only, notify, cancel" message. Thing is, the usernames it gives are that of people who have not logged on in months. The files is not in the Open Files list, the user is not listed in Sessions.

LillyVanilli

Shayser, have you installed recent Microsoft updates on your server? Ive a feeling its something to do with that. And do you use McAfee?

JDxtra

Are users logging onto the server (i.e. terminal services) or are they just saving files to a share on the server?

shayser

In my case the server is the PDC but also has the share where the files are located. I'll check for any recent updates this evening.

LillyVanilli

Same in my case, files on server, user connects via shared drive. Shayser can you let me know if youre using McAfee so I can rule that out?

shayser

McAfee is on the client machines but the share in question (mapped drive) is excluded from the on-access scan. It's on the server also but on-access scan is permanently disabled for all files (scheduled scan runs). It's always been this way. I'm going back in in about an hour so I'll be looking at it again then.

Capt'n Midnight

seamus wrote:

The only problem you have is that any users who open files and then go home and leave them open will be foaming at the mouth the next day.

Just tell them that opened files won't be backed up and when (not if) the spreadsheet becomes corrupt the words "I told you so" will be be in use.

some backup programs allow you to skip open files, others sell you an agent to try it

try net files , command to see who has what open


I don't think it would be related to shadow copy

LillyVanilli

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Just tell them that opened files won't be backed up and when (not if) the spreadsheet becomes corrupt the words "I told you so" will be be in use.

some backup programs allow you to skip open files, others sell you an agent to try it

try net files , command to see who has what open


I don't think it would be related to shadow copy

That doesnt fix the problem though. Theres still multiple TMP files for each excel spread sheet thats been opened and they wont go until the server has been rebooted and then they can be deleted.

shayser wrote: »

McAfee is on the client machines but the share in question (mapped drive) is excluded from the on-access scan. It's on the server also but on-access scan is permanently disabled for all files (scheduled scan runs). It's always been this way. I'm going back in in about an hour so I'll be looking at it again then.

Ive a feeling that its either Microsoft Updates or McAfee. I have my McAfee disabled too, but that and the updates are the only things that have changed on my systems. I updated McAfee to patch 16 recently, and fully patched it with Microsoft Updates.

Capt'n Midnight

have you tried

net file 765476 /delete

LillyVanilli

In that command "net file 765476 /delete", what does the "765476" refer to? The file name?
Excel file Im trying to delete is called "Excel.xls~RF1c0297.TMP"
But NET FILE Excel.xls~RF1c0297.TMP /DELETE doesnt work.

Also after rebooting the server this morning, I deleted all the TMP files, however the first TMP file to reappear this morning says it was last modified on the 25/02/08!

Capt'n Midnight

Display all the open shared files on a server and the lock-id
NET FILE

Close a shared file (disconnect other users and remove file locks)
NET FILE id /CLOSE

seamus

Have you got offline files enabled on the machine - are your users using offline files?

LillyVanilli

NET FILE doesnt list the TMP files unfortunately. And Offline Files are disabled by Group Policy.

Shayser have you checked to see if you have the latest Microsoft Patches installed?

LillyVanilli

Turns out it was McAfee. I had tried everything else but eventually I removed McAfee from the server and it fixed it. Running an older version of McAfee, Patch 10 for the moment.

shayser

Glad you got it sorted. I fixed my problem by deleting the local copy of the user profile.