Custom template help needed

[busy-B]

I'm creating custom templates for use by a team of
writers/editors/managers/freelancers. Experiencing unexplained Word crashing
on PCs. Templates created on a mac (word 2004), most users are on PC (word
2003). My experience is that the user can work without the template installed
as long as they ignore the "cannot link to template" message when opening the
document. When the documents started crashing we tried installing the
templates locally. When the PC has the template installed correctly, the
field under
Tools>Templates and add-ins still shows the path to "my templates" folder on
my
mac. Not sure if this is what causing the crashing. I've deployed other
templates in the past without these problems. Here's some additional info
about this particular template:

1. This template has styles that use picture bullets- not sure if that has
been linked to any bugs but I think this was a feature new to word 2003.
2. This template also has a continuous table that spans most of the
document, and uses a table style to format it.
3. We rely on the Tools > Templates and add-ins > attach function to
update/add styles to multiple documents by relinking to a revised template
(with automatically update styles checked)
4. The documents don't crash word on my mac, but they have crashed on other
macs

I don't think I'm doing anything that the software wasn't meant to do. Right
now the team is at a standstill waiting for an updated template that will not
crash. Please help!

 

[Charles Kenyon]

Don't know why the crashing, but try linking the documents to the locally
installed template. Or, once you are done creating the documents, if they
have the styles they need in them, link them to normal.dot.
--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide


--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.

 

[busy-B]

Thanks Charles, unfortunately relinking to the local custom template or the
normal template didn't work.

How do you get a document to link to it's template without manually
re-linking it? Shouldn't it find the template if it's installed locally in
the correct location? Or does the document need to be passed around with it's
template at all times? That wouldn't be very efficient.

Something additional to note is that word is also crashing the users Outlook
email, and/or when they quit outlook it asks them if they want to save
changes to normal. I thought that was odd. For the most part, these templates
had been working great for the past 6 months/1 year, but now they are
crashing. Any more ideas? Thanks

 

[Charles Kenyon]

When a document is passed around whether it reattaches to its template
depends on how your templates are organized. If in a templates folder which
has the same address from both computers, then it should attach, otherwise
not.

Outlook problem should be the subject of a separate post to get the best
advice. My advice would be to not use Word as an Outlook email editor. There
is no reason to do so that I know about. It adds complexity.
--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide


--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.

 

[Beth Melton]

If the templates had been working fine and they aren't then you should
look beyond the template.

Have there been any changes to the workstations? A new virus scanner?
Office updates? New software?

See if the error occurs when you start Word using the /a switch. Go to
Start/Run and run:

winword /a

Note the space before the forward slash. If the error doesn't occur
then you could be encountering a third-party conflict in an add-in.

To determine if you are using any global templates go to
Tools/Templates and Add-Ins and see if there are any global templates
or add-ins listed. If so they are located in one of your Startup
folders. The location of the Word\Startup folder can be found under
Tools/Options/File Locations and the Office\Startup folder can be
found in the Office installation path.

You can also use Windows Search to find the files. If you are using
Windows XP then in make sure you are viewing all files and searching
all files:

- Viewing all files: Start Windows Search and go to Tools/Folder
Options and on the View tab make sure "Show hidden files and folders"
is selected

- Search all files: In Windows Search click "All files and Folders"
then expand "More Advanced Options". Make sure "Search hidden files
and folders" is selected.

Take a look in each folder and if you find more than one file move
them one at a time and try duplicating the error after each file is
moved out of the folder until you determine which one is causing the
problem.

As of Word 2000, Word can have COM add-ins. COM are added via the
Registry rather than the Startup folders. To determine whether or not
you are using COM Add-In you can add the "COM Add-in" command to your
toolbar:

- Right-click any toolbar and select Customize
- On the Commands tab, select the Tools category
- Locate COM Add-Ins on the right
- Drag/Drop to a location of your choice

Close the dialog and run the COM Add-ins command. If you have any
loaded then remove the tick in the check box to unload it.

For more information on COM Add-Ins, see this article:
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Customization/CheckIfAddinsInstalled.htm

Also, you could have COM Add-Ins installed that do not display in the
COM Add-in dialog if they are per machine add-ins rather than per
user. If you don't encounter the error using the /a switch and have
check for both global templates then here's an article that will help
you find per machine COM Add-ins (start with Method 2):
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;555220

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/