Can't get "Automatically Update Document Styles" to stay unchecked

[Crumpy]

I have a template that for some reason has "Automatically Update
Document Styles" checked and is playing havok with files that are
opened on the PC (they error out trying to find the template using the
Mac's file path). Every time I uncheck it and hit ok, it comes back
when I go back to Templates and Add Ons.

Is there something obvious I'm missing here?

 

[John McGhie]

Hmmm... I think you have two problems

The first is that a "Template" cannot have "Automatically update styles on
open set: the setting is disabled (because it would otherwise attempt to
attach to itself). Try this:

1) Close all documents

2) Open the Template

3) Choose File>Save As.

Without you changing anything, Word should switch the save location to "My
Templates" and the "Format" to "Document Template".

If it doesn't, the file is not a "Template", and that explains all of your
problems. Save it as a Document Template format and everything should
suddenly come right, including the PC's difficulties...

Note: Having saved it, you will then have to move the template into a
network folder. The PCs can't attach to a file on your local drive, they
won't be able to access it.

You can't "attach" to a document file type.

If this does NOT resolve the problems, come back ‹ we'll have to get serious
with it.

Cheers

I have a template that for some reason has "Automatically Update
Document Styles" checked and is playing havok with files that are
opened on the PC (they error out trying to find the template using the
Mac's file path). Every time I uncheck it and hit ok, it comes back
when I go back to Templates and Add Ons.

Is there something obvious I'm missing here?

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
http://jgmcghie.fastmail.com.au/
Auckland, New Zealand
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[Crumpy]

Sorry for being unclear-this is what happens when I post when sick.

Hopefully, this is more clear.

I have several templates on my Mac, but the two that get used the most
are the ones for work. When I create a document on the Mac from them,
a PC user gets the "Cannot open MacintoshHDath to template. They get
that dialogue box twice, and clicking through opens the files OK.

After doing some research, it appears as if a possible culprit is the
"Automatically update document styles" check box in templates and add
ons. Once I create the document, if I uncheck that and save the
document PC users now only get one of the dialogue prompts. I went
through all the styles and set all of them to not Automatically Update
in case that's part of the problem.

The problem exists only with these two templates, and one of the
templates was based off the other (One's an Escalation document, the
other is a Process document). So it's possible something in this
template has been screwed up for a while and carried over when I saved-
as from the original template to the second. On that template file,
when I go to the Templates and Add Ons, the "Automatically update" is
checked and the template name is blank, as it should be. The other
templates I have (a research paper format and a tech manual template)
when I open the .dot file the box is unchecked.

Unfortunately, placing the template file on the network isn't an
option. So far the workaround is to use Word under Parallels. There's
a part of me that's thinking of just recreating the template from
scratch. I inherited it and might do a test run to see if the problem
just goes away with a new version.

 

[Crumpy]

I have a little more data. It is now with any document I create from
any template. This did not exist around 1.5 months ago. I had a manual
template for a tech writing class I based my semester-long assignment
off of. If I create a new document off that same template, I get the
"cannot open" error, even with "automatically update" unchecked. The
file I started about 1.5-2 mo ago opens fine on the PC.

So, in short it's not one or two templates. It's every document
created from the Mac off a template.

Now, the creation date on the last "good" file is right before I
upgraded the HD in my Macbook. I just cloned the drive onto the new
one, but have noticed a few odd things since then: Bootcamp refuses to
see the drive as being partitioned properly, and when I used Pacifist
to reinstall Garageband it installed it at the root instead of /
applications.

So, now my questions are this:
1- Might a simple-reinstall of Office fix the problem, or
2- Do I need to reinstall the OS?

 

[Elliott Roper]

I have a little more data. It is now with any document I create from
any template. This did not exist around 1.5 months ago. I had a manual
template for a tech writing class I based my semester-long assignment
off of.

Well. There's your problem! Word has invoked the termination with *two*
prepositions sentence. With extreme prejudice. [1]

Word's grammar checker is trying to run you *off of* the faculty. Which
is the first useful thing it has ever done.

1.Where is the rule about using a preposition to *begin* a sentence
with?

 

[Crumpy]

Thanks for your help...

I have a little more data. It is now with any document I create from
any template. This did not exist around 1.5 months ago. I had a manual
template for a tech writing class I based my semester-long assignment
off of.

Well. There's your problem! Word has invoked the termination with *two*
prepositions sentence. With extreme prejudice. [1]

Word's grammar checker is trying to run you *off of* the faculty. Which
is the first useful thing it has ever done.

1.Where is the rule about using a preposition to *begin* a sentence
with?

 

[John McGhie]

1) Ignore Elliott, he's a grumpy old pedant. *I* am a Technical Writer,
(and so of course a fine and erudite contribution to the human race) and
thus have no further use for or interest in GRAMMAR!!!

2) PCs will resolve Mac file paths just fine. So the problem is not the
Mac file path. It could be that the file path has gotten munged. I believe
this error would also occur if the other users were logged in on a Mac.
It's "that computer" or "that specific path" they can't reach, which has
nothing to do with the fact that it is a Mac.

3) Yes, if you disable "Automatically update styles on open", the other
computers will have the problem only once, because they will then make only
one attempt to retrieve the template.


You can Maggie a template just as you can a document, and you may care to
try that:

A) CAREFULLY copy all of the text from the template, EXCEPT the final
paragraph mark.

B) Create a new, blank file and save it as a template.

C) Paste into the new file.

Save, Close and re-name. KEEP the old version. If there was a corruption
in the structure, that will have discarded it.

D) Now use Organiser to transfer the non-copyable items across (macros,
autotexts, toolbars, etc.)

You can discard the old version after you prove everything is working.

Try that...

Sorry for being unclear-this is what happens when I post when sick.

Hopefully, this is more clear.

I have several templates on my Mac, but the two that get used the most
are the ones for work. When I create a document on the Mac from them,
a PC user gets the "Cannot open MacintoshHDath to template. They get
that dialogue box twice, and clicking through opens the files OK.

After doing some research, it appears as if a possible culprit is the
"Automatically update document styles" check box in templates and add
ons. Once I create the document, if I uncheck that and save the
document PC users now only get one of the dialogue prompts. I went
through all the styles and set all of them to not Automatically Update
in case that's part of the problem.

The problem exists only with these two templates, and one of the
templates was based off the other (One's an Escalation document, the
other is a Process document). So it's possible something in this
template has been screwed up for a while and carried over when I saved-
as from the original template to the second. On that template file,
when I go to the Templates and Add Ons, the "Automatically update" is
checked and the template name is blank, as it should be. The other
templates I have (a research paper format and a tech manual template)
when I open the .dot file the box is unchecked.

Unfortunately, placing the template file on the network isn't an
option. So far the workaround is to use Word under Parallels. There's
a part of me that's thinking of just recreating the template from
scratch. I inherited it and might do a test run to see if the problem
just goes away with a new version.

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
http://jgmcghie.fastmail.com.au/
Auckland, New Zealand
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[Crumpy]

I did a variation of what you asked with the template: I created a
brand new one with "blahblahblah" in the header. I then used that to
create a new document. On the PC it errored out. So far this what I
know for sure:

1- Every Word file created from any Word template errors out on the PC
with that "cannot open file." This includes the standard out-of-the-
box templates. I've tested on several PCs so it's not just one wonky
PC. I think we can rule out a corrupted template, too.
2- After testing on a lot of files, it seems the problem started
around July 24th - 26th. I put the new cloned HD in the 23rd. Files
created BEFORE this date open fine on the PC.
3- An uninstall (using the Office Remove tool) and reinstall of Office
2004 did not fix this problem (I tested before and after applying the
updates).

The only thing I can think of is it's an issue with how SuperDuper
cloned the drive, especially with the issues I've had with Pacifist
grabbing stuff off the MacBook install disks. I'm just not 100% sure
at this point a complete OS install is going to fix it. I'm just
stumped.

I can get by using Word via Parallels. I'm thinking of going to
Leopard pretty soon after it comes out, so I might wait and put the
complete reinstall off until then. That said, I've got my doubts about
moving to Leopard fast so I might back everything up and reinstall in
a few weeks.

Something along the way screwed something up. I'm not sure where,
though.

 

[Crumpy]

SOLVED!

It's the stupidest thing: When I cloned the drive, I cloned it onto a
drive named "SATA" and NOT MacintoshHD.

I thought to myself, no, really, it can't be THAT simple, can it?

Sure enough, I renamed the drive to MacintoshHD, created a new file
from a template and it opened fine on the PC. If open up a "trouble"
document, attach a template file with from the newly-renamed
"MacintoshHD," it also opens fine.

Somehow, that rename messed something up. I don't understand it, but
I'm past the problem. Thanks for your help.

 

[Clive Huggan]

1) Ignore Elliott, he's a grumpy old pedant. *I* am a Technical Writer,
(and so of course a fine and erudite contribution to the human race) and
thus have no further use for or interest in GRAMMAR!!!

Thousands will believe you, John, but I well recall a recent discussion of
the pluperfect subjunctive ...

But I never thought of Elliott as old ... ;-)

CH
===

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

[totally off-topic]

Seriously, that grammar flag about "too many prepositional phrases" in a
sentence is something I learned from Word, and it's really true such
sentences just don't work. Now I tell my students that, and I learned it
from Word's grammar checker. Isn't that *amazing*? I hate that grammar
checker.

 

[Crumpy]

In embarrassing fairness, I write for a living (both technical and
freelance). My forum/uunet posts are my worst; I really need to do a
better job at self-editing and not rambling on and hitting "send."

 

[John McGhie]

Naaahhh!!! Ignore them, your grammar is fine, they're just pedants in
pursuit of a purpose. All three of them

In embarrassing fairness, I write for a living (both technical and
freelance). My forum/uunet posts are my worst; I really need to do a
better job at self-editing and not rambling on and hitting "send."

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
http://jgmcghie.fastmail.com.au/
Auckland, New Zealand
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[John McGhie]

Ummm... Yeah, well I wish you had mentioned the "Rename" at the start, we
would have gotten straight to it for you.

PCs address files by the "Fully qualified file path", so the PC is looking
for a file named

"MacintoshHD/Users/Documents/Work folder/Projects/Templates/Template.doc"

It won't accept:
"SATA/Users/Documents/Work folder/Projects/Templates/Template.doc"


The Mac resolves drive names internally to "Mount Points", where
"MacintoshHD" and "SATA" could be equivalent if they're both "the boot
drive" (i.e. "Mount point 0").

On a PC, the name remains in text format always. So yes, changing the name
of the drive puts "everything on a different drive" to the PC.

Cheers

SOLVED!

It's the stupidest thing: When I cloned the drive, I cloned it onto a
drive named "SATA" and NOT MacintoshHD.

I thought to myself, no, really, it can't be THAT simple, can it?

Sure enough, I renamed the drive to MacintoshHD, created a new file
from a template and it opened fine on the PC. If open up a "trouble"
document, attach a template file with from the newly-renamed
"MacintoshHD," it also opens fine.

Somehow, that rename messed something up. I don't understand it, but
I'm past the problem. Thanks for your help.

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
http://jgmcghie.fastmail.com.au/
Auckland, New Zealand
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[Crumpy]

Yah,it's one of those things that makes a lot of sense when you think
about it after the fact.

When I renamed the drive and had to type in my admin password, I had a
feeling this was going to fix it and for the reasons you mentioned.
Since the cloned drive was named prior the drive, I have no doubt
certain pointers in the OS would be messed up. I could probably get
away with doing the rename from within OSX back to SATA if I really
wanted to (since the OS would change all the bits), but it's not worth
it.