My Docs Online FAQ » Web Folders

Windows 7 Web Folder Error 0×80070021: The process cannot access the file because another process has locked a portion of the file

Richard — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:22:18 +0000

Windows 7 Web Folder / WebDAV users may see Error 0×80070021: “The process cannot access the file because another process has locked a portion of the file” if a folder name ends with a period (“.”).

This is caused by a problem with Windows 7 that removes the period at the end of a folder name when requesting a list of items in the folder from the server, which results in the folder not being found. The reference to the file being locked is not relevant.

The simplest solution is to rename the folder to remove the period at the end (periods within the folder name do not cause a problem).

If possible use the browser interface at www.mydocsonline.com to make the change, then “refresh” your web folder view (F5 or “View…Refresh”) to see the change.

NOTE: if your users have shortcuts to folders at or below the changed folder the shortcuts will need to be changed as well. MDOSDK configuration files, if in use for the folders involved, will also have to be changed to reflect the changes to the folder path (MDOpath).

Switch IDs when using Web Folders

Richard — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:58:30 +0000

When using a Web Folder Network Place, Windows will tend to “lock” your access to the current ID, which can cause problems if you need to switch to another ID or account.

Depending on which web folder server you use, try the following links to force a logoff, which will cause Windows to ask for your ID and password, allowing you to enter a new ID:

Log Off Web Folders

Log Off Web Folders2

Web Folders for Windows 7 loses last character of file extension

Richard — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:49:37 +0000

Windows 7 users uploading files using Web Folders may see the last character of the file name (part of the file extension usually) disappear if a percent sign (%) is part of the file name.

This is a Windows 7 problem.

Two current workarounds are available:

Avoid using percent signs in file names
After upload rename the file to include that last character

Use Web Folders / WebDAV to collaborate, edit, and manage your files in the internet “cloud”

Richard — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:26:39 +0000

Web Folders is the Microsoft term for an internet connectivity method called WebDAV, though you will see it called simply a “Network Location” in Vista and Windows 7, or a “Network Place” in Windows XP.

WebDAV stands for “Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning”. It allows users to collaboratively edit and manage files on remote web servers from Windows PCs and Macs. WebDAV is the term used in Mac OS X.

In the case of My Docs Online the “remote web server” is your My Docs Online account folders and files, which can also be accessed via our other interfaces (through our web site at www.mydocsonline.com, and via tools like our Transporter).

Why use Web Folders? Two main reasons:

First, it’s an easy way to store, retrieve, and share files “in the internet cloud” while seeing the remote files and folders on your PC pretty much as if they were on your PC’s harddrive.

Second, Office applications (notably Word and Excel) can use File Locking via Web Folders to make sure two people don’t edit the same document at the same time.

If you and a colleague, for instance, both try to open and edit the same spreadsheet at roughly the same time, the first one to open the file can do so, and the second one will get a warning that another user has the file open for update, and all the second user will be able to get is a “Read-Only” copy of the file (until the first user closes it).

What about security?

In the case of My Docs Online, access to an account via Web Folders is secured using a Login ID and password. Also, security-conscious users set up their web folder to automatically use SSL encryption.

How do I get started?

Choose your operating system from the list below for specific setup instructions:

How can I tell if I have Windows Vista 32-bit or 64-bit?

Richard — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:41:00 +0000

Click Start…Control Panel
Select “System”

Under System look for “System Type: 32-bit Operating System” or “System Type: 64-bit Operating System”

Web Folders setup for Windows 7

Richard — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:52:39 +0000

Web Folder setup steps for Windows 7

In “Computer” Right-Click an open area on the right side of the Window, then select “Add a Network Location”.

The “Add Network Location Wizard” will appear. Click “Next”.

When asked, “Where do you want to create this network location?” select Choose a custom network location. Click “Next”.

When asked to “Specify the location of your website” in the Internet or network address field, enter https://webfolders2.mydocsonline.com/webfolder, then Click “Next”.

Enter your User Name and Password when prompted (you may be prompted up to FOUR times. Just enter your ID and password each time and the fourth time it should work).

When asked, “What do you want to name this location?” enter a label of your choosing (for instance “My Docs Online”). Click “Next”.

When you see “Completing the Add Network Location Wizard” Check the box “Open the network location when I click Finish” and Click “Finish” (it may take some time for the Web Folder to open the first time).

A Network Location has been created in the “Network Location” section of Computer with the label you choose. (Hint: You can Right-click the Network Location and select “Send to… Desktop” to create an additional shortcut on your desktop).

Finally, CONFIRM IT ALL WORKED BY LOOKING AT THE RESULTING ICON in Computer…Network Location:

In “Computer” Right-Click an open area on the right side of the Window, then select “Add a Network Location”.
The “Add Network Location Wizard” will appear. Click “Next”.
When asked, “Where do you want to create this network location?” select Choose a custom network location. Click “Next”.
For ”Internet or network location” enter https://webfolders.mydocsonline.com
Click “Next”.
Enter your User Name and Password when prompted.
When asked, “What do you want to name this location?” enter a label of your choosing (for instance “My Docs Online”). Click “Next”.
When you see “Completing the Add Network Location Wizard” Check the box “Open the network location when I click Finish” and Click “Finish” (it may take some time for the Web Folder to open the first time).
A Network Location has been created in the “Network Location” section of Computer with the label you choose. (Hint: You can Right-click the Network Location and select “Send to… Desktop” to create an additional shortcut on your desktop. You can also do this for one or more specific folders inside your My Docs Online web folder).

File Open, Save, and Locking using Office 2007 has been tested successfully with Windows 7 Enterprise.

Watch the installation screencast:

Known quirks and issues:

When tested with Windows 7 Enterprise, if you have changed your My Docs Online password after setting up a Web Folder Windows 7 will erroneously continue to send us the old (wrong) password — even if you have typed the new one. A reboot appears to fix this problem.
If you have a folder with a period (“.”) at the very end you will get an error when trying to open the folder in a Windows 7 Web Folder. This was not the case in previous versions of Windows. You can change the folder name to remove the trailing “.” but be aware that any existing web folder shortcuts or SDK configuration files that include the old folder name will no longer work.

Web Folder Network Definitions for two IDs

Richard — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:59:00 +0000

If you need to have two separate My Docs Online Login IDs / accounts connected via a Windows Web Folder Network Place you need to set up separate definitions using different URLs to avoid the problem of Windows “remembering” the first Login ID.

You can set up the second ID by pointing it to our other, functionally identical webfolders server.

Presumably you have set the first webfolders account up at https://webfolders.mydocsonline.com, if that is the case try setting up the second account at https://webfolders2.mydocsonline.com.

This will cause Windows to treat the second server as “new” so that it asks for an ID and password.

The resulting Network Place can be named anything you choose, so you can name each one to reflect the ID logged in via that Network Place.

Time Zone Display in the Browser and Web Folders / WebDAV

Richard — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:12:02 +0000

File creation and other file action times are stored in My Docs Online using an internal date and time format that is location/time zone-independent.

Display of a file’s creation date and time is the responsibility of the particular client displaying the list of files.

This means, for example, that the web browser interface, which is actually running on My Docs Online servers, will always display US Eastern Standard Time for files, because the servers are in that time zone.

The Web Folder/WebDAV interface, on the other hand, uses the Web Folders (Windows) or WebDAV (Mac) client on the user’s device, which means the client will generally convert to the time zone set for the user’s PC or Mac.

If it is important that you see the time a file was uploaded displayed in your own time zone, the best method is to use the Web Folder / WebDAV interface.

Web Folders setup for Vista / Server 2003

Richard — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:37:03 +0000

64-Bit Vista versions: Bugs in the 64-bit versions of Vista prevent Web Folders from working. Microsoft may address the problem in the future. The 64-bit version of Windows 7 DOES support Web Folders.

32-Bit Vista versions: install this Software Update for Web Folders at Microsoft.com before proceeding.

How to tell if you have Windows Vista 32-bit or 64-bit

Web Folder setup steps for Windows Vista and Server 2003

In “Computer” Right-Click an open area on the right side of the Window, then select “Add a Network Location”.

The “Add Network Location Wizard” will appear. Click “Next”.

When asked, “Where do you want to create this network location?” select Choose a custom network location. Click “Next”.

When asked to “Specify the location of your website” in the Internet or network address field, enter https://webfolders2.mydocsonline.com/webfolder, then Click “Next”.

Enter your User Name and Password when prompted (you may be prompted up to FOUR times. Just enter your ID and password each time and the fourth time it should work).

When asked, “What do you want to name this location?” enter a label of your choosing (for instance “My Docs Online”). Click “Next”.

Finally, CONFIRM IT ALL WORKED BY LOOKING AT THE RESULTING ICON in Computer…Network Location:

In “Computer” Right-Click an open area on the right side of the Window, then select “Add a Network Location”.
The “Add Network Location Wizard” will appear. Click “Next”.
When asked, “Where do you want to create this network location?” select Choose a custom network location. Click “Next”.
When asked to “Specify the location of your website” in the Internet or network address field, enter https://webfolders2.mydocsonline.com/webfolder, then Click “Next”.
Enter your User Name and Password when prompted (you may be prompted up to FOUR times. Just enter your ID and password each time and the fourth time it should work).
When asked, “What do you want to name this location?” enter a label of your choosing (for instance “My Docs Online”). Click “Next”.
When you see “Completing the Add Network Location Wizard” Check the box “Open the network location when I click Finish” and Click “Finish” (it may take some time for the Web Folder to open the first time).
A Network Location has been created in the “Network Location” section of Computer with the label you choose. (Hint: You can Right-click the Network Location and select “Send to… Desktop” to create an additional shortcut on your desktop).
Finally, CONFIRM IT ALL WORKED BY LOOKING AT THE RESULTING ICON in Computer…Network Location:

Advanced techniques for using Microsoft Office and My Docs Online

Richard — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:43:17 +0000

Advanced techniques for using Microsoft Office and My Docs Online

For users who need to share the frequent updating or editing of Word or Excel files, the ability of the WebDAV protocol used by MS Web Folders to “lock” a file while a user has the file open for update provides a simple yet powerful way to share editing responsibilties for a given file, without having to worry about the “intervening update” problem.

“Intervening updates” refers to the situation where user “A” opens a particular file for update, and before the file can be updated and saved user “B” also opens the same file. Whichever user saves the file last will wipe out the other user’s changes.

The WebDAV protocol supported by the My Docs Online server includes a provision for “Locking” a file, and Microsoft Office applications “know” how to keep a My Docs Online file locked while it is being edited. All that is required is to open the Office file via Microsoft’s Web Folder support, either directly via the Office File Open dialog, or by locating the Web Folder and then the file via Windows Explorer and opening the file to launch Office.

If user number two attempts to open the same file at the same time, he or she will be notified that the file is open and locked, and he or she will be offered a “read-only” copy of the file. When the first user closes the file the “lock” is released so user number two can open, and edit, the file.