Template Download Error in Word

[Kevin Kaneta]

Problem: XP users are unable to download templates from within Word 2003.

Error Message: The template cannot be downloaded. Check that you have an
Internet connection. If no, connect and try again. Also, IE may be set to
work
offline. In Internet Explorer, click Work Offline on the File menu to turn
off offline mode, and try downloading again. If you still get this message,
try again later.

This error occurs on all of our Windows XP computers (w/sp2 and all security
updates) running Office 2003 Pro on a Windows Server 2003 domain. Our
Windows 2000 (sp4) computer users do not have this problem. If the user(s)
are made members of the Domain Admin group, they can download templates in
Word. I have looked repeatedly, but am unable to attribute this problem to a
group policy setting.

I have tried all the recommendations given to others who have trouble
downloading templates within Internet Explorer (emptying IE cache, making
sure the Microsoft Office Template and Media Control is ‘enabled’, and adding
office.microsoft.com to the Trusted Sites zone. None of these
recommendations worked for me.

Can anyone help me resolve this problem without elevating users to Domain
Admins?

Thank you’

Kevin Kaneta
Computer Support
Cedar Mill Library

 

[db]

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/HP010349411033.aspx

active x control issue might
be the cause


Problem: XP users are unable to download templates from within Word 2003.

Error Message: The template cannot be downloaded. Check that you have an
Internet connection. If no, connect and try again. Also, IE may be set to
work
offline. In Internet Explorer, click Work Offline on the File menu to turn
off offline mode, and try downloading again. If you still get this message,
try again later.

This error occurs on all of our Windows XP computers (w/sp2 and all security
updates) running Office 2003 Pro on a Windows Server 2003 domain. Our
Windows 2000 (sp4) computer users do not have this problem. If the user(s)
are made members of the Domain Admin group, they can download templates in
Word. I have looked repeatedly, but am unable to attribute this problem to a
group policy setting.

I have tried all the recommendations given to others who have trouble
downloading templates within Internet Explorer (emptying IE cache, making
sure the Microsoft Office Template and Media Control is ‘enabled’, and adding
office.microsoft.com to the Trusted Sites zone. None of these
recommendations worked for me.

Can anyone help me resolve this problem without elevating users to Domain
Admins?

Thank you’

Kevin Kaneta
Computer Support
Cedar Mill Library

 

[Kevin Kaneta]

Thank you for your response, db.

I discovered this web page during my investigations (it's also listed as a
suggested solution in a similar post). But even with the ActiveX control
installed, enabled and office.microsoft.com added to the list of trusted
sites, the template download feature still does not work. Does the ActiveX
control need to be re-downloaded with every template? I find it puzzling
that the problem still exists when domain users are added to the local
machine admin group - shouldn't that give them the necessary permissions?
Why would it only work with domain admin membership? I can imagine MS had
that in mind when they implemented this feature.

Kevin

 

[db]

well, it seems reasonable
that maybe not allowing downloads
for users is a security feature only
provided to admin.

a couple of things that i can think
of at this time are to ensure:
a) active x control security settings are proper
b) and managing the browser add ons

since you have looked into the security
aspect and ensured that the browser
is accessing the office website "directly",
maybe the add ins are posing an issue:

download a program from microsoft.com
call autoruns. go to the ie tab and basically
disable all the add-ins listed. one of them
could be corrupting the broswer and add-ins
are reinstallable anyways.

to disable an entry, simply check its'
box and double click the filename.

to re-enable the keys for the add ins just
uncheck the box(s) and double click again.
also, view the entries for all users via
the "menu" option.

incidently, i can only hope the security
options are correct. you might want to
simply test this issue by enabling/allowing/
permitting all active x and scripts - basically
setting the security to low or off momentarily.

then focus on the office template website
and see if this enables access to the active x.


Thank you for your response, db.

I discovered this web page during my investigations (it's also listed as a
suggested solution in a similar post). But even with the ActiveX control
installed, enabled and office.microsoft.com added to the list of trusted
sites, the template download feature still does not work. Does the ActiveX
control need to be re-downloaded with every template? I find it puzzling
that the problem still exists when domain users are added to the local
machine admin group - shouldn't that give them the necessary permissions?
Why would it only work with domain admin membership? I can imagine MS had
that in mind when they implemented this feature.

Kevin

 

[db]

here some additional info.

it seems that there is a setting to
permit users some authorization
as notated in table 4.3 from the below:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/prodtech/windowsxp/secwinxp/xpsgch04.mspx


Thank you for your response, db.

I discovered this web page during my investigations (it's also listed as a
suggested solution in a similar post). But even with the ActiveX control
installed, enabled and office.microsoft.com added to the list of trusted
sites, the template download feature still does not work. Does the ActiveX
control need to be re-downloaded with every template? I find it puzzling
that the problem still exists when domain users are added to the local
machine admin group - shouldn't that give them the necessary permissions?
Why would it only work with domain admin membership? I can imagine MS had
that in mind when they implemented this feature.

Kevin

 

[Kevin Kaneta]

This turned out to be a Default Domain Policy setting that was too
restrictive. Apparently, it only affects Windows XP computers – that’s why
it wasn’t an issue until now. Now that we’re upgrading to XP, I was forced
to hunt down the cause after discovering that the new version Norton AV Corp
Ed would not run properly unless the logged on user was a domain admin.

Thank you db for your input – it helped me eliminate other possibilities.

Kevin