Resolving File Conflicts for Office Documents

When two people edit a document at the same time, it’s possible to get a file conflict. A file conflict looks like this:

What Causes a File Conflict?

A file conflict can occur when two users edit the same document at the same time using the native word application.  Let's take the following scenario: 

1. Person A edited a file.
2. Person B started editing at the same time.
3. Person A saved the file.
4. Person B saved the same file.

Here is what happened to the file:

• The file was saved twice with two different names:
  • The file saved first (by person A), retains the original file name: In this case “Doc.docx”.
  • The file saved later (by person B), got renamed to: “Doc (conflict at 2017-06-06 14-04-14 by Person B).docx”

How Do I Resolve a File Conflict?

1. Contact your coworker and inform them of the file conflict.
2. Agree on who’s going to merge the file changes.
3. Merge the file change. Remove the conflicted file.

How Can  I Prevent a File Conflict in the Future?

1. When collaborating on documents with other coworkers, use Office Online.
2. If you’re going offline for an extended period of time, let your team know what files you’re planning on editing.
3. Look for locked files. Files are locked when others are editing them.

If you’ve lost your work, contact support.