The problem  is that when you check  out a document  the active copy is stored
on your local computer is the SharePoint Drafts folder. Until that copy is
checked back in you can't make any changes to the checked  out copy. So
activating a workflow  to Check the document back in is impossible. The only
thing you can do with a checked out document via the server is to rescind
the CheckOut which will revert to the Checked in copy that is already on the
server. You would lose any pending changes. You can do this
programmatically in code and could probably do it using a workflow built in
Visual studio, but you won't be able to do it with a workflow built in
designer unless you are the person who Checked out the document in the first
place. Besides, I doubt you really want to flush all pending changes at the
end of every day  and strand all the local copies of documents  on users
workstations that were checked out.

Precisely. You would lose any changes throughout the day  on those documents.
They could conceivably be merged by hand the next day but what a pain!

I completely concur with Mr. Stork; you would require a coded solution in this
case.

In SharePoint you can't start  a workflow  on an item  that is in a checked  out
state, (at least not a Designer created workflow). The check-in, check-out
functions of the workflow allow you to make column edits to the metadata of an
item, which if the item exists in a library that requires  check-out, must be
checked out prior to making any such changes. So, If you want to edit an item,
the workflow can first check  it out, make its changes, and then check that item
back in. However, the item must be in a checked in state in order for the
workflow to even begin.

You can't do what it is you are trying to accomplish. A small clarification on
what Paul stated. Items are only stored in your local drafts folder if you have
set Word to do this. This is the default behavior, but you can modify Word to
not use the local drafts and instead keep the document  on the server.

Just a quick word on weird forced check  in functionality, the library is a Wiki
library which is used by IT Help Desk to document  incidents and their
resolution. Force check in is required to discourage the practice of leaving the
documents checked  out at the end  of the day, when others technicians might need
them afterwards.

As with many things in SharePoint where management wants to control what users
can do, I think this is better handled by creating a policy and providing tools
than by creating an automated workflow.



1) Establish a policy requiring Help Desk employees to check  in all work before
going off shift

2) Explain why checking  things in is necessary

3) Provide tools to make it easy to comply with the policy. For example create
a report that an individual can run to show what content they have checked  out
in that Library. (This is already available if you are using publishing in the
site)

4) If (When) someone breaks the policy, make sure that penalties are enforced.



In the long run this kind of self-policing is easier to setup and maintain and
leads to more informed employees.

One further step along these lines:

How about an email  one hour before the end  of the shift to those who have
checked out wiki pages? You could add an email to the supervisor at the end
of shift listing pages not checked  in and the offending staff. That would
put some "push" into Paul's excellent suggestions.

As a possible solution, I would consider modifying the permissions on that
particular library to then give the technicians the Override check  Out
permission. this way could simply force a check in of an issue they needed to
work on.