SharePoint Online: Co-authoring with differing versions of Word

[Vanessa Martin]

Does co-authoring have issues when authors are using different versions of Word?

If yes, any solutions other than using Word Online, which has some functionality limits.

We are using SharePoint online. We are also on Word 2013 and an outside colleague is using Word 2016. The outside colleague encounters "locked  by other user" or "conflicts with other user" error messages. If he is in the document and someone else (Word 2013), comes in, he is unable to save a document.

Thanks. 

[#2]

Great question, and yes.   It would be great to get someone from MS describe the optimal configuration and also cover that error and other gotcha's.  Having files locked from editing because someone is editing it and that someone is you is incredibly frustrating.  

Versions 

2010

2013 -

2016 - MSI installation vs. Click-to-Run

2016 Mac

Mobile Apps - For Android and iOS

What is required to have real-time (with clicking save)  co-authoring Word, do you have to use Word Online?  How about Excel?

[#3]

Hello Vanessa

If user is on Office 2013 for optimal co-authoring experience and successful interaction i would recommend two things.

1) For users Running Office 2013 make sure that you have implemented the ADAL fix recommended by Microsoft. It will resolve any authentication issues.

2) Make sure sites are granted full trust.

 Here are additional troubleshooting steps from Microsoft.

https://support.office.com/en-us/article/troubleshoot-co-authoring-in-office-bd481512-3f3a-4b6d-b7eb...

[#4]

Basically the only versions of Office that currently work are targeted release Office 2016. It may be in the semi-annual builds by now, but essentially, if you don't have the Auto save button on top, you cannot co-author using the office client. Anyone opening the file direct without Auto-save, it will lock the file for editing.

[#5]

Hi Christopher,

Can you clarify your statement?

We have been using Word 2013 when co-authoring through SharePoint Online for a couple of years. And, unfortunately, having editing/saving issues periodically.

Could you provide a screenshot of this Auto Save button?

Does this mean that you can't co-author with Word 2013?

It would be nice if Microsoft would state clearly the scenarios in which co-authoring on SharePoint Online will and will not work.

Thanks for responding.

[#6]

Sorry I was thinking Excel, that requires recent Excel. Here is a post I found detailing coauthoring with SharePoint Online / OneDrive: https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Document-collaboration-and-co-authoring-EE1509B4-1F6E-401E-...

However folks can lock files by turning off Auto-Save or if they have that off by default it will basically lock the file. It's here in the top left corner of Office client:

[#7]

Are you using the OneDrive sync client?

From https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/3125202/restrictions-and-limitations-when-you-sync-files-an...:

"The OneDrive sync client for Windows supports co-authoring and in-app sharing when you use Office 2016 Click 2 Run (version 16.0.6741.2027 or higher). You must also have OneDrive (version 17.3.6386.0412 or higher).
The OneDrive sync client for Windows supports co-authoring and in-app sharing when you use Office 2016 MSI and have the following update installed: October 4, 2016, update for Office 2016 (KB3118262)"

Also, don't forget that, anyway, co-authoring is possible only for latest file formats (docx, xlsx, etc.) and only with the OneDrive sync client properly configured in Settings.

[#8]

No, we are not using the OneDrive sync client to my knowledge.

We have been using SharePoint Online, Office 2013 within the company, and outside colleagues using Office 2016 or Office 2013.

I thought that co-authoring was possible with SharePoint online. I suspect that if differing versions of Offices are being used, there may be a conflict among the application templates. Can this be avoided by using the online versions of applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel)?

Why doesn't Microsoft provide a simple, clear how-to and stop distributing functionality among multiple applications?

[#9]

Thanks for the screenshot Christopher. 

The button looks unfamiliar to me. Since I am on Office 2013, I suspect that the button is part of the 2016 package. I wonder if there is a counterpart to that button in Office 2013.

[#10]

Co-authoring is one of the advanced features in Office 365.

For my customers, I have never been able to get it to work reliably with old Office versions, not to mention old file formats and old sync clients.

On the other side, it works perfectly well with Office ProPlus (the "evergreen" version) and/or Office Online apps.

[#11]

Salvatore, first I want to thank you for taking the time to help me.

For the record, I am a power user and not an application administrator nor an expert.

I just realized that there is a basic premise that I don't understand. 

How is Office 365 related to my desktop version of an application, like Word 2013 in my case?

[#12]

I would say that Word 2013 is "partially" compatible with Office 365, meaning that it could give you access to some features of Office 365, surely the most basic, but absolutely not all of them, and in particular not the recently introduced features, for which you need the "evergreen" version, i.e. Office ProPlus.

Co-authoring is one of such features. For example, it is explicitly excluded in https://products.office.com/en-us/microsoft-word-2013