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What version of Excel (on Windows) is required to do co-authoring?

Bronze Contributor

I recently say this post: https://blogs.office.com/en-us/2017/08/31/new-to-office-365-in-august-enriching-teamwork/  That says Excel real time co-authoring is now generally available.  What version of excel (on Windows) is required to make this work?  

29 Replies
best response confirmed by Eric Davis (Bronze Contributor)
Solution

Eric,

 

co-authoring is available as of version 1707 build 8326.2058.

 

Yes, this is the right build, it also has to be O365 subscription.

I have a user that is running 1708 build 8431.2153 (and I'm running 1712 build 8827.2117) and I shared a workbook with him that is stored in my ODFB, but he doesn't see co-authoring (i.e. there is no AutoSave button for him.) Any idea why that would occur?

Thank you Detlef, all those requirements are being met, yet the user still can't co-author (the AutoSave button does not appear.)

I have no further ideas.

Maybe someone else has.

 

Both issues (AutoSave and Co-authoring) were fixed starting from the build 8431.2094, but only for Current channel. If the user is on semi-annual channel it is still not supported.

More details is here

https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Fixes-or-workarounds-for-recent-issues-in-Excel-for-Windows...

 

Thanks for link. The user is running build 8431.2153 so neither of these issues should be a problem for him.

Yes, this build appeared a week ago https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/office/mt465751.aspx and Microsfoft mentions Autosave in list of fixes for it

  • Fix an issue where the AutoSave toggle isn't visible.
  • Fix an issue where, when opening a file saved in OneDrive, OneDrive for Business, or SharePoint that is synced using a sync client, AutoSave is incorrectly disabled or grayed out.

When it is for the support ticket.

 

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??

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 next update 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.

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.

Is there an update on this? My client really wants co-authoring in Excel but is currently on semi-annual. Does it work in semi-annual targeted? The targeted release must be hitting the semi-annual channel soon?

I had issues with co-authoring. I had to make two changes:

 

2. Disable "Refresh data when opening the file" on the pivot tables in the workbook.
 
To disable "Refresh data when opening the file":
1. Open the workbook.
2. Highlight a PivotChart.
3. In the Analyze ribbon click Options.
4. Go to the data tab and uncheck "Refresh data when opening the file".
You may need to repeat steps 2-4 on each PivotChart.

 

semi-annual doesn't work at this time. You can switch to the monthly channel by following: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/3185078/how-to-switch-from-semi-annual-channel-to-monthly-c...


@John Gruber wrote:

semi-annual doesn't work at this time. 


Should it work now?

My work computer is using the semi-annual channel, current office version is 1803 build 9126.2282. But I'm still unable to do co-authoring.

No, you'll need to switch to the monthly release cycle.

1 best response

Accepted Solutions
best response confirmed by Eric Davis (Bronze Contributor)
Solution

Eric,

 

co-authoring is available as of version 1707 build 8326.2058.

 

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