"Changes have been made that affect the global template - normal. Do you wish to save those changes"

[anthonyx26]

Running Word XP.

Tools / Options / File locations / "Workgroup templates" is set to a mapped
network drive locations so that all users on the network can use the same
templates.

The problem is that the normal.dot also exists here and everyone uses that,
and consequently after making even only a few changes in Word and then
attempting to close Word, it causes the prompt message "Changes have been
made that affect the global template - normal. Do you wish to save those
changes"

Any ideas how we can avoid this?

Paul ---

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

Any ideas how we can avoid this?

Very simply... use Word as it was intended... Normal.dot is designed to be a
"personal" file -- one per user. If you're going to share the same
Normal.dot, you're going to get what you're getting, since you're working
at cross purposes with how Word was designed. That's why, in Tools -
Options - File Locations, there is one location for User templates, and
another for Workgroup templates. Normal.dot is a ***user*** template. For
shared templates, use the Workgroup template folder.

That way, each user can customize keystrokes to their own personal needs,
map the toolbars as desired, have their own AutoText entries, etc. For
personal productivity, this is how Word is supposed to work. Sharing
Normal.dot completely eliminates Word's strongest (IMO) attraction, and
makes using Word intolerably less productive. It's like having a company car
and then telling each driver they're prohibited from adjusting the seat and
mirrors.

PS Find a good class in Word administration, and send your Word/IT person to
it. All of your Word users will be ecstatic.

 

[anthonyx26]

Your textual keyboard lashing is much appreciated ;-) Indeed, I have
recommended a word admin course for the local IT admin.

I checked one user, who is affected by this issue and their "user templates"
was indeed set correctly to a local C: drive folder. However, I'm having
the local IT admin check the rest of the users on the network. I suspect
some of them have the "user template" folder mapped to the shared mapped
drive location.

- anthonyx26

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

Let us know how it turns out!

Cheers,

--
Herb Tyson MS MVP
Author of the Word 2007 Bible
Blog: http://word2007bible.herbtyson.com
Web: http://www.herbtyson.com