In an eRoom you can view, add, and edit files created in other applications. Other members can share these files as long as they have the same or compatible applications (example).
When you add a file to your eRoom, you are its owner and initially the only person who can edit it. However, you can add other members' names to the list of people who can edit it. You can also keep track of different file versions.
See also: Sharing file items into a meeting
Note: If file
protection is turned on in your community, the only members who can
delete a version-tracked file or turn off version-tracking for a file
are the eRoom's coordinator and administrators. Further, if the related
community option to version-track all new files is turned on, only the
coordinator and administrators can turn it off when adding a new file,
or for an existing version-tracked file.
Click its icon.
Or, right-click its icon and pick "View" from the pop-up menu.
When you view a file, others can still access it. Reading a file does not reserve it for you, nor prevent others from viewing or editing the same file.
Plug-in only: If you edit a file you have open
for viewing, and you have edit rights to the file, when you close the
file, eRoom asks if you want to save your changes. If you click "Yes",
eRoom reserves the file, uploads your changes, and releases the reservation.
Go to the page where you want to add the file.
Right-click on an empty area of the item box and pick Add File from the pop-up menu.
Or, in the command bar, click "add file".
The Add File page opens.
Click Browse to select the file you want to add.
Pick the options you want:
Select "Track versions" to track versions of the file you are adding.
Select "Upload, then add another" to upload a file and return to the Add File page.
Select "Private draft" to add the file with its Open list set to just the file creator -- access control can be edited later.
Note: The Add File
page also opens when you click the "Create" button, click the
"create" command, or pick "Create Item" from the pop-up
menu, and then click the "Other File" icon on the Create page.
Go to the page where you want to add the file.
Locate the file you want to copy from your desktop, or a local or network drive. (You can also use the Windows Explorer to locate the file.)
Drag the file into the eRoom.
While you're editing a file, eRoom prevents other members from editing
it by reserving it exclusively for you. When you either replace the file
in the eRoom or abandon your changes, eRoom releases the reservation.
After you make changes, eRoom puts an unread mark (
) on the file so others know it is updated.
Note: If necessary,
the eRoom coordinator can release
a reservation on any file in the eRoom so that others can edit it.
If you want to hold a file for editing later, you can put a manual reservation on it. This prevents other members from editing the file until you have time to finish editing it and can release the reservation.
Right-click the file's icon and pick "Access Control" from the pop-up menu.
Or, in the item or attachment box in details view, select the file's check box, and then click "access" in the command bar.
On the Access Control page, select the "Reserved for editing" check box.
Reserving a file for editing copies the file to a local folder that you can access while offline by choosing Start > Programs > eRoom Files for Offline Editing.
When you enter an eRoom, and if there is a changed file in your offline editing directory, eRoom asks what you want to do with that file. You can either
Upload -- copy the changes to eRoom
Keep Working -- do not copy the changes, and leave the reservation intact (eRoom will ask again the next time you enter the eRoom)
Abandon -- discard the changes
If you choose to upload or abandon the changes, you can also decide whether to release the reservation afterwards. If you check "Same answer for all files", eRoom handles all files the same way.
In Internet Explorer, when you view or edit offline a file that has version tracking on, only the current version is available.
Click the file's edit icon (
).
Or, right-click the file icon (in either the item box or the map), and pick "Edit" from the pop-up menu.
eRoom reserves the file for editing and opens it in its native application.
Edit the file and save your changes.
eRoom automatically uploads the changes and releases the reservation.
Plug-in only: To
upload a file you've edited outside of eRoom, you can drag
and drop it from your desktop onto the old copy in your eRoom.
Click the file's edit icon ().
Or, right-click the file icon (in either the item box or the map), and pick "Edit" from the pop-up menu.
On the Edit File page, pick "Edit it." and click "OK".
This reserves the file for you to edit.
Using the link that the Edit File page provides, either open the file in the same or a new browser window.
Edit the file.
If you opened the file in the same browser window, click "Back" to return to the Edit File page.
Or, if you opened the file in a different browser window, click to close the browser's window.
In the prompt dialog for the modified file, click "Yes" to save your changes.
This opens the browser's "Save As" dialog box so you can save the file to your disk.
After saving the file to your computer, return to the Edit File page (in the same or different browser window).
Note:
If you close the Edit File page by clicking "OK" before adding
the file back to eRoom, eRoom keeps
your editing reservation on until you release it (or a coordinator
or administrator releases it).
On the Edit File page, click "Add" to save the edited file back to eRoom.
On the Replace File page, browse for the saved file.
To turn on version tracking for the file, select the "Track versions" check box.
To keep your editing reservation on the file, clear the "Release the editing reservation afterwards" check box (otherwise, eRoom removes the reservation).
Click "OK" to replace the file in your eRoom with the file that contains your changes.
You can keep your editing reservation on a file and edit it outside of eRoom. In this case, the next time you edit the file from eRoom, the Edit File page opens and asks if you want to Replace it with a new version or Abandon your changes and release your editing reservation. If you pick "Replace...", the Replace File page opens, as in step 9 of the preceding procedure.
eRoom can keep an automatic archive of all previous versions of a file.
Files set to track versions have a version icon (
) next
to their name in list and details view
(not large icons).
Right-click the file and pick "Track Versions" from the pop-up menu.
Or, with your browser only, select the "Track Versions" check box when you are adding or editing the file.
Once version tracking is on for a file, each time you upload changes to that file, a dialog box lets you provide a title for the version and enter notes about your changes.
Right-click the file's icon and pick "Show Versions" from the pop-up menu.
Or, with your browser only, click the version
icon () next to the file name.
A page opens that displays the version history of the file, listing each version with information about who made the changes and when, and any notes about the changes in each version.
Go to the file's version history page and edit an earlier version.
That version becomes the current version of the file.
Go to the file's version history page and click "add a version note".