Switching attached templates causes Word to freeze

[Judy]

1) I successfully open a file that is attached to a
template on my C: drive.

2) I want to change the attached template to one on the
network. So I go to Tools > Templates and Add-ins and
click the Attach button. After I locate the template
(.dot) on the network and click the Automatically update
document styles checkbox, Word freezes.

I must kill Word. When I restart Word and open this file
again, an error message appears and the file opens.

Why can't I attach a different template to an existing
document withou Word freezing?

 

[martinique]

The problem might be the network. Can you attach to a different template on
your C drive?

 

[Judy]

No. When I switch templates, Word freezes. This happens
even when both the original and new templates are stored
in my default Word template folder.

I'm so frustrated having to restart Word each time I try
to switch templates!