Hans Brender's Blog

I was not sure if this is just a new feature of Office, or if the Next Generation Snyc Client (NGSC) is also contributing. But I have been waiting for this intelligence for a long time.

Problem Description

1. I create a document (Word)
2. I save the document (A.docx)
3. I close the application (Word)
4. I change the name of the document in Windows Explorer from A.docx to B.docx)
5. I start the application (Word)

Of course, the most recent documents use A.docx

Is actually logical. But we’ve seen countless changes in the Office packages by now, and until recently I was still faced with an error message when I clicked on the A.docx entry to open it.

And now?

Now B.docx opens and you can work with it immediately. However, this only works in certain circumstances. In the ‚Recently used data‘ list of the Office packages is then namely B.docx

Does it work everywhere?

No, because the Next Generation Sync Client looks in the respective SharePoint Online site collection, if he finds something. And of course the Sync Client has moved the name change to Windows Explorer in the cloud.

So that means

a) Office version (C2R) 1811 Build 11029.20070 or higher is required
b) Next Generation Sync Client Version 18.212.1021.0007 or higher required
c) Location must be a SharePoint library or OneDrive for Business.

Open questions:

1. Does this work even if the history is off?

2. Does this work even if a file is moved to another folder (within a document library)?

a. In Explorer Yes
b. In the web browser (MOVE): Yes

3. Does this work even if a file is moved from one document library to another document library?

a. In Explorer: NO
b. In the web browser (MOVE) No.

Summary

in the table below, the columns mean

Web: the action is done in a browser, and the result is viewed in Word (not Word Online)

History W: Does the history of the action carried out on the web be preserved?

Explorer: like Web, but the action is executed in Windows Explorer

History E: does the history of this action remain?

*1) Error message : Upload Error

Question:
Does this also work with other files, such as images

Answer:
No, because the dialog last used does not exist in other  non-Office applications.
(But maybe Microsoft will include this function into a DLL, so other programmer may use….)

Question:
Does that also work with Office 2013?

Answer:
No, there is a dialogue there, but the built-in function is not

Question:
Does this work with an MSI package from Office?

Answer:
Yes and no, in the old MSI packages the feature has not been built in yet, in the new ones that do not exist yet

Question:
Does this also work for OneDrive (Consumer / Personal)?

Answer:
Not yet. Actually, many home users work with Office.

Summary

Finally, I do not have to worry about renaming or moving an Office document. It just opens.
A few questions are still open. I asked at Microsoft, and they are working on it.