Template with document

[oe]

I created a template for a Specification and keep this on my office PC.

I recently prepared a specification document (based on this template) which
is kept on the server.

When I came into the office today, my boss told me he had made some
alterations to the specification on his PC, rather than wait until I came
in, and asked me to print the final version for him from my PC.

When I opened the document to print it, I realised the paragraphs were 'all
over the place' - i.e. the document had obviously taken on his normal.dot.

How can I ensure that this doesn't happen again - I thought is was unwise to
keep my templates on the server.

TIA

 

[Terry Farrell]

The tail is wagging the dog.

You should put the template on the server and write-protect it. When users
open a new document from the template, the user will not be able to save any
styles changes made back to the template because it is write-protected. They
soon learn that to avoid the nag to save changes to the template is to not
change the styles.

 

[ab]

Thanks, Terry.

The user will not want to open a new document from the template - my boss
just opened the document I had created and made a few alterations. It would
appear that it took on his normal template styles. He saved the document
when he had finished and then asked me to print it from my PC. It was only
when I checked through it before printing it that I discovered that one of
'my' headings had completely changed. I am sure he hadn't tried to change
it.

Also, I am not sure where on the server I would save my template to ensure
that it is attached to a document when he opens it.

On my PC, all my templates are on C:/My Documents/My Templates

 

[Poprivet]

What happens if you simply reattach your template to the document in place
of his?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

It sounds as if your boss had "Automatically update document styles" enabled
for Normal.dot (Tools | Templates and Add-ins). If your document is based on
a template other than Normal.dot, then use Tools | Templates and Add-ins to
reattach that template with "Automatically update..." checked, which will
reinstate your style formatting. See also
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/sharing/WillMyFormatChange.html.

 

[Beth Melton]

Why do you think it's unwise to leave your templates on the server?

If the document was based on your template then the only way I can see this
happening is if the document based on the specific template had
"Automatically update document styles" enabled (In Tools/Templates and
Add-ins). Then when it was opened on another computer, the document template
couldn't be found (since it's on your computer) at which point Word used
Normal.dot instead.

The way to prevent this from happening in the future is to not leave the
"Automatically update document styles" option enabled on your documents that
use a specific template.

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

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

Co-author of Word 2007 Inside Out:
http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/9801.aspx#AboutTheBook

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

 

[Beth Melton]

"Automatically update document styles" is a document specific option. If
it's turned on for Normal.dot then they'd have to open Normal.dot and turn
it on. But even then it would only affect new documents, new documents based
on Normal.dot would inherit the option, not all documents that are opened.

I suspect the document "oe" created had the option enabled, not the boss.

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

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

Co-author of Word 2007 Inside Out:
http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/9801.aspx#AboutTheBook

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

 

[oe]

I have just returned to the office after the weekend so have only just
managed to check on this.
I do not have "Automatically update documents styles" checked on my document
or my template. I've no idea how things are set up on my boss' PC.
When I reopened the document on my PC, my template appeared to be attached
(Tools/Templates and Add-ins).
Could you please tell me where on the server I should save my template(s),
please.

TIA

 

[Terry Farrell]

Presuming that you don't have any existing templates on the server...

Create a new folder: call it something logical such as WG Templates. Add the
template to the folder and make it Read Only. DON'T make the folder read
only, only the templates.

In Word, go to Tools, Options, File Locations tab and you will see a setting
for Workgroup templates: change the path to the new folder on the server.
Now when you go File, New you will find the new template under the General
tab.

If you end up with many templates on the server, you can sort them
logically - say into departments - by putting them in logically named
sub-folders (but keep the names short) and when you have added templates,
the sub-folder will appear as a new Tab in the File, New dialog. But note
that these sub-folders will not show up as tabs unless there are templates
in the sub-folder.