Connecting (Sharing) Excel Between Office Comnputers

Hello, hoping this is the correct location to enter my question (?) :

On a new job here today, small "mom-&-pop" outfit, and they are asking if I know how to set-up two (or maybe three) computers here, so as to be able share Excel documents (MS Office 2007) between the two (or three).

I did a search on this, and google seemed to want to send me to Microsoft for directions (instructions), which I performed, however, seemingly to know avail.

The problem (I think) is that the computers need to first "see" each other (be networked?) before any modification I may make in the settings are going to work in any case (correct?), and though I've done this once or twice on a small home network, it was some years ago, and on my own computers which I was familiar with.

One of the computers here is "hardwired", the others "wireless".

Can anyone here possibly assist me with this please?

Thanks,
Hoister

 

You do not connect or share Excel. You have to basically use a SQL Server & Sharepoint if you want to be able to share the content on a worksheet between multiple people. Otherwise it will be locked when more than one person is in it, and will not update until it unlocks from the first person working in the Spreadsheet.

Otherwise you are better off using Googledocs to do this.

See http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel-help/use-a-shared-workbook-to-collaborate-HP010096833.aspx and http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc749856.aspx You can go through this search regarding using a SQL server with excel http://search.microsoft.com/en-us/r...s&q=using a sql server with excel spreadsheet

Also http://helpdeskgeek.com/office-tips/excel-to-mysql/

Regarding Collaborating with Google Docs http://www.brighthub.com/internet/google/articles/8236.aspx

Collaborating with Openoffice Spreadsheet http://www.oooninja.com/2008/04/shared-calc-spreadsheets-documents.html

 

Or if not needing to update them at the same time is needed then a simple file share type situation would work.

 

Does not work in a office or even working between people across the continent or globe, that need to share a worksheet.

That is where things like Google Docs, Office365, or a Sharepoint server on the Cloud, comes in to play.

 

For a few people that need to share one spreedsheet, but not access it at the same? It works fine, cause i know two resturants here that do it and have no issues. Not everyone needs share point.

 

Never stated that they did need it, but it is there for an example in how the OP can see how to utilize it as an option. They asked a question, I gave them options to allow them to go through and see what best works for them.

As for a restaurant, yes that is one example where not both would need to be in there at the same, but something like Google Docs is a better option then having both in say an excel spreadsheet on a server or desktop at either place, or forget to upload the updated to say a cloud drive for the other to have updated information.

Really if it is a restaurant as you stated, they should be using a program like Quickbooks or even a Database setup for whatever they are using the spreadsheet for, to update the spreadsheet that way for certain items.

Many methods of doing stuff, you just need to figure out what works best, is again why I used the example above this paragraph.

 

Thank you all for these replies and all the info...will take me time to break-it-down...simplify, and digest.

I have, for whatever reason(s), become very much anti-technology in recent months, as it just plain flat-out occurs to me that the tech is now being designed to "operate (dictate to) us", rather than the other way around (or maybe I've just suddenly gotten old and crotchety..?).

I will run it by the new boss and sure we'll have another question (or three) - thanks again..

 

Use KISS Hoist_it. Suggest Google Docs for this, since it is going to be the simplest way to do it.

 

brownizs:

Greatly appreciate your help on this, however...the owners of the company here seem to be rather "old school" (to put it mildly), and saying things such as;

"..we don't want our business floatin'-around in some CLOUD for the world to see" . . .

rolleyes

And I have to be honest and say I don't know how to answer them on that..?? :confused

 

No one will see their stuff out in their personal space, unless someone internally starts handing out the access information.

Having i secured out in the cloud is more secure than sitting on a desktop in the office, that anyone can access.

99.99% of internal breaches of data, is due to people not properly protecting their files, pasword protecting file shares or files, making everyone on the network an administrator, then the big one is, writing down their password on a post-it not and placing it somewhere for all to find, or making it so easy, that a two year old could figure it out.

Remember, if they lose everything on that computer in the business, with no backup on a secure cloud drive, along with a backup that they can place in a fireproof safe everyday, they are not doing enough.

Regardless if the owners are "Old School", thry just need to be shown the benefits of using something like Google docs for business, how it will benefit them. The same goes for Office365.

 

Thanks - I will pass this along to the boss(es) - thanks again, much!