Document editing failure with Windows 7 and Microsoft Office

When Vibe/Filr users are running Windows 7 as the client operating system while using Microsoft Office 2007 (or higher) as their document editor, various incompatibility issues can be introduced. The problem arises due to WebDAV limitations in Windows 7 when used with newer versions of Microsoft Office such as Office 2007. The following Vibe/Filr features are affected:

• Edit-in-Place (Editing a document when logged in from a web-browser)
• Mapping Vibe/Filr folders and editing documents without logging in from a web-browser
  

Edit-in-Place:
Users of Microsoft Office 2007 (and higher) on Windows 7 frequently run into WebDAV compatibility issues when trying to edit Office documents in Vibe/Filr. In some cases we've seen the following workarounds to resolve the problem:

Note: Try these suggestions/workarounds in order and test after each if the problem is resolved.

1. Run Windows Update and apply all available Microsoft updates / service packs
2. Download and install all service packs available for your version of Microsoft Office
   (sometimes these are not available through the Microsoft Update wizard)
3. Download and install the following Microsoft Hot fixes in the order specified:
   a. Webfldrs-KB 907306-ENU.exe
   b. office-kb956790-fullfile-x86-glb.exe
   
4. Run Microsoft Office in compatibility mode for Windows XP SP 3
   For each Microsoft Office application (Word, Excel, PowerPoint):
   • Right-click the executable and view properties
   • Click on the Compatibility tab and check the option for 'Run this program in compatibility mode for:'
   • From the drop-down, select 'Windows XP (Service Pack 3)'
   • Hit OK to save your changes
   • Remember to do this for each Microsoft Office application (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
     
5. Turn ON WebClient service under Windows services
   
6. Modify a Windows Registry entry
   
   • Start the Windows Registry Editor by typing 'regedit' in the Windows Search programs and files
     
   • Locate registry entry: \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\WebClient\Parameters\BasicAuthLevel and change it's value to 2 (Hex)
   • Hit OK to save your changes and exit the Registry Editor
     
7. Reboot your Windows 7 system for the changes to take effect

If you are still unable to edit documents using Microsoft Office after making the above changes, we recommend that you consider one of the following alternatives:

1. (New) Download an install the Novell Vibe Add-In for Microsoft Office 2007/2010 (Vibe 3.3 is required)
   
2. Use an older version of Microsoft Office (such as Microsoft Office 2003 or Microsoft Office XP)
3. Use OpenOffice 3.1 or later

Mapping folders and browsing/editing documents via Windows Explorer:
When mapping folders on Windows 7 you must use the 'Map Network Drive' feature and make the following registry change. If you are mapping the folder using a Secure URL (HTTPS), please ensure that you have a valid certificate installed.

1. When using SSL (https), ensure that the certificate is installed on the client machine
   
2. Modify a Windows Registry entry
   
   • Start the Windows Registry Editor by typing 'regedit' in the Windows Search programs and files
     
   • Locate registry entry: \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\WebClient\Parameters\BasicAuthLevel and change it's value to 2 (Hex)
   • Hit OK to save your changes and exit the Registry Editor
   • Reboot your Windows 7 system for the changes to take effect
     

Once the folder is mapped, you should be able to browse through the documents and open them in read-only mode due to WebDAV limitations in Windows 7. For full read/write capabilities you may also want to consider one of the following alternatives:

1. (New) Download and install the Novell Filr Desktop or Novell Vibe Desktop (Vibe 3.3 is required) client
   
2. Using a 3rd party WebDAV client such as BitKinex 3.2

Please note that an alternate (digest) method for WebDAV authentication was added starting with Vibe 3.0 which resolves some of the WebDAV incompatibility issues with Windows 7 and Microsoft Office. Please refer to the Planning the WebDAV Authentication Method section of the Vibe Installation Guide to decide which method is best in your specific scenario. For more details on WebDAV Servers, please visit the Configuring Vibe to Support WebDAV on WIndows 7 section of the Vibe Administration Guide.

Novell recommends upgrading to Vibe 3.3 and using the Vibe Add-In for Microsoft Office and the Vibe Desktop to eliminate all WebDAV related issues. To learn more about the Novell Vibe Add-In for Microsoft Office and Novell Vibe Desktop, please visit this article Novell Vibe Add-in for Microsoft Office and Desktop Application Videos.