sharepoint Code Version Conflict Error

How to Fix SharePoint Error Version Conflict Error

Diagnostic Procedures

  • 1 Understand SharePoint Version Conflict Errors
  • 2 Step 1: Merge Changes in Office Desktop Applications
  • 3 Step 2: Clear Cached Files using Terminal Scripts
  • 4 Step 3: Keep Server Copy or Discard Local Drafts
  • 5 Step 4: Check Sync Client Conflict Settings

How to Fix SharePoint Error Version Conflict Error

A Version Conflict Error in SharePoint occurs when two or more users edit the same document simultaneously, or when offline edits made to a local synced file conflict with newer changes saved directly to the SharePoint server. When co-authoring tools fail to merge these edits automatically, SharePoint flags a collision, prompting the user with warnings like “Use server version or keep your version” or “Resolve version conflict.”

This guide outlines how to merge edits, flush local caches, and configure conflict resolution settings.

Understand SharePoint Version Conflict Errors

Version conflicts are typically caused by:

  1. Concurrent Offline Edits: A user edits a file while disconnected from the internet, while another user makes changes online. When the offline client reconnects, the changes conflict.
  2. Co-authoring Failure: Real-time synchronization in Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint fails due to network latency, causing the server to lose track of which change took priority.
  3. Office Cache Out-of-Sync: The local Microsoft Office Document Cache has a version record that does not match the active server database version.
  4. Third-Party App Modification: Antivirus software, desktop backup agents, or text editors open and save the file in a way that increments its metadata timestamp unexpectedly.

Resolving SharePoint Version Conflict Errors

Follow these steps to merge files and resolve version conflicts:

Step 1: Merge Changes in Office Desktop Applications

Microsoft Office includes a built-in conflict resolution tool that highlights overlapping edits.

  1. Open the conflicted document in its corresponding desktop application (e.g., Microsoft Word).
  2. Look for the Conflict or Server Version Available banner at the top of the window.
  3. Click Resolve or View Changes.
  4. The app will display a side-by-side comparison of your local changes and the server changes.
  5. Accept the server edits, keep your changes, or click Save a Copy to save your version as a separate file, allowing you to merge manually later.

Step 2: Clear Cached Files using Terminal Scripts

If the conflict warning persists even after you close the file, the local Office document cache database is likely out of sync.

On Windows:

  1. Close all Office programs and OneDrive.
  2. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
  3. Run these commands to wipe the Office File Cache:
:: Stop the Office upload and sync tasks
taskkill /f /im msosync.exe
taskkill /f /im onedrive.exe

:: Force remove the Office File Cache folder
rmdir /s /q "%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Office\16.0\OfficeFileCache"
  1. Restart your computer and reopen the file.

On macOS:

  1. Close all Microsoft Office programs.
  2. Open the Terminal application.
  3. Execute the following commands:
# Force quit Office file cache helper daemons
killall "Microsoft OSF Provider" 2>/dev/null
killall "OneDrive" 2>/dev/null

# Delete the cached group containers
rm -rf ~/Library/Group\ Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/OfficeFileCache-*

Step 3: Keep Server Copy or Discard Local Drafts

If you are confident that the version saved on the SharePoint website contains the correct information, you can discard your local changes to overwrite the conflict state.

  1. Open the local synced folder where the file is located.
  2. Right-click the file and select OneDrive > View Online.
  3. Confirm that the online version is correct.
  4. In your local folder, delete the conflicted file.
  5. The OneDrive sync client will automatically download the correct version from the server.

Step 4: Check Sync Client Conflict Settings

Configure the OneDrive sync client to define how conflicts are handled when sync collisions occur.

  1. Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar (Windows) or menu bar (macOS).
  2. Click the Gear (Settings) icon and select Settings.
  3. Go to the Office tab (or Sync and backup > Advanced settings depending on your OneDrive version).
  4. Under the Sync conflicts section, choose your preference:
    • Let me choose to merge changes or keep both copies: Prompt every time a conflict occurs (Recommended).
    • Always keep both copies (rename the copy on this computer): Automatically duplicate and append your computer name to the conflicted file.
  5. Click OK.

Summary Checklist

  • Open the document in its desktop app and click Resolve to compare edits.
  • Save a local copy of the file if you need to manually review the modifications.
  • Clean the local Office Document Cache using the scripts above if the conflict is stuck.
  • Set OneDrive’s Sync Conflicts settings to automatically keep both copies if you want to avoid data loss.
  • Ensure that all co-authors are connected to the internet to allow real-time co-authoring.