Editing, viewing and opening documents on Content Server

MS Office files

There are three main ways of opening Office documents in Content Server: View, Edit and Open. Edit and Open are available from the links to the right of the document name. View is available by clicking the document name.

View

When you view a document in Content Server, the document is displayed in a web page.

This view is not editable, but it is the fastest way to see what is in the document. For complex documents the formatting may not display correctly, but it will be readable. You can use View to check that you have found the right document before going on to edit or open it.

Note that Edit and Open are also available from this view, via the buttons above the document.

Edit

When you edit a document it is loaded into Word.

Editing a document tells Content Server that you are going to make changes to this document. Content Server 'reserves' the document for you, so nobody else can edit it at the same time. When you save and close the document, Content Server will also unreserve the document.

Open

When you open a document it is loaded into Word with the indicator (Read Only) in the title bar at the top of the window.

Opening a document tells Content Server that you are not going to make any changes to the document. If you make any changes you will not be able to save them back into the document. You should use open when you want to just read it (fully formatted, unlike viewing) or to print it.

You can also use Open if you want to use this document as a template or starting point for a new document. Although you can't save any changes you make back into the original document, you can save a modified version with a new name and/or in a different location in Content Server.

Non-Office files

To edit any other documents on Content Server, follow the quick steps below or download the detailed guidance at the bottom of the page.

Quick Steps

Note: You must have the appropriate editing software installed to edit non-office items.

1. Click the Download link to the right of the item.
2. Save the document to your desktop.
3. Open the document in the appropriate software and make any changes, then save your changes.
4. In Content Server, click on the Function button for the document/file and choose Add Version.
5. Use the Browse button to find the new version saved on your desktop, then click the Add Version button.
6. Delete the copy of the new version from your desktop.

Unreserve

To remove the red tick from a document by 'unreserving' it, follow the quick steps below or download the detailed guide at the bottom of the page.

Quick steps

If a document has a red tick next to it, it has been reserved by someone and only that person can edit it. To find out who reserved a document that has a red tick:

• click on the Function button for the document and choose Properties > General
• note the name in the Reserved By field

If the name shown is yours, to unreserve the document:

1. Click on the Back button.
2. Click on the Function button for the document again and this time choose Unreserve.
3. Click on the Submit button.

If the name shown is someone else's, either tell them (if you know them) or email them (if you don't) and ask them to unreserve the document.

If you can't get in touch with them, contact the Service Desk by email or phone (0208 498 7777) detailing exactly where the item is located and what it is called.