What is a virtual server? and is it what I want

[Katymac]

I have 2 computers and may be getting a third (they are all used by various people for my work)

We all need to work on documents but only one at a time (and if someone else is using it - they no one else can)

My 16yo computer guru (who I pay £6phr to fix my computers) suggests a virtual server - will that work?

TIA
KMc

Are you wanting to work on the SAME document at the SAME time? Can you split the documents into parts, so that people only EDIT one part at a time, but can VIEW all the other parts?

What sort of document? Are you talking, Word Excel, that sort of thing, or something else?

I presume you are currently sharing documents using Network sharing within Windows.

Windows XP - Sharing Documents

Would you need remote access at all, via a web browser?

What about a net connection - do you have Broadband at work? Could perhaps share documents using Google

Google allows you to Collaborate, which means that multiple people can edit the same document anywhere in the world. You can also chat with the person editing the document as well, regardless of if they in the next room, or other side of the Atlantic.

Changing things so that they are accessed on-line may take a while, but could solve a problem very cheaply. Big drawback however is what happens when your broadband goes down!

No - only 1 person to edit at a time
Excell
Yep do need remote access

Hmm Google looks good - I was thinking about BT vault (now I have had a look round)

BT Vault looks promising. Plus they have special offer on for TODAY only... which means you get 2GB of space if you signup today, instead of the usual 1GB of space (this is for the Free Non-BT Broadband customer).

As you only need one person to edit at any one time, looks to me as if BT Vault will do what you want, and you won't have to change your files. Google seems better if you want multiple people to edit documents, but you have to save the files in Googles online format, which while importing Excel files works, it does lose some formatting - at least, I couldn't get it to import coloured cells correctly and print them out again. Showed on screen, but didn't print.

Well I signed up - so I'll see how it goes