Forum Discussion
What version of Excel (on Windows) is required to do co-authoring?
Eric,
co-authoring is available as of version 1707 build 8326.2058.
Eric,
co-authoring is available as of version 1707 build 8326.2058.
I have two users running Version 1708 Build 8431.2236 ...higher than the stated requirements for desktop Excel co-authoring. Neither of them can open an Excel that I shared with them from my OneDrive for Business. They can co-author in Excel online (i.e., the browser version) but they cannot co-author in Excel desktop (the file will not open for them if I already have it open.) If I'm not in the file, they can open it individually and save changes, which I see later after they've closed it and I re-open it.
They are on Office 365 semi-annual channel and I'm on Monthly targeted channel. They do not have the AutoSave button in the upper left corner of Excel (which I believe it supposed to provide a good visual indicator that the user has the correct version for co-authoring.)
How do I get them co-authoring in Excel desktop? What version is required?
Does anyone have an answer for this??
Co-authoring is not available for users who are on the SEMI-ANNUAL channel. See https://support.office.com/en-us/article/collaborate-on-excel-workbooks-at-the-same-time-with-co-authoring-7152aa8b-b791-414c-a3bb-3024e46fb104?ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US
Thanks Noel. That comment is relatively new, Microsoft never previously stipulated that semi-annual channel wouldn't have Excel desktop co-authoring, even if the user was on the correct (or higher) build.
I don't understand why the release channel is preventing the user from getting this functionality. I sure hope there isn't any other functionality that semi-annual channel doesn't have. I wish there was a list somewhere that summarized what user get/don't get.
At one point, I found some code on a MS forum and it changed my update channel to the monthly channel and then I had co-authoring with AutoSave. Then the admins did an update and I was back on the Semi-Annual Channel and the functionality went away.
So, as far as I can tell, those of us on the "Semi-annual Channel" don't have that feature enabled yet. The https://support.office.com/en-us/article/version-and-build-numbers-of-update-channel-releases-ae942449-1fca-4484-898b-a933ea23def7#bkmk_byversion is due July 2018.
Ideally, there would be a document that would indicate which features, such as this one, is available in a given build/release.
