Trouble with global templates & add-ins

[jg70124]

After reading this page:
http://word.mvps.org/faqs/customization/WhatTemplatesStore.htm, I tried to
create a global template to store all my customizations. It didn't work.

Here's what I did:
1) Created a new blank document (Word 2002).

2) Went to Tools/Options/File Locations and changed the locations of my my
templates and startup folder to new folders I created on a non-system drive
(where I store all my documents for easier backup).

3) Went to Tools/Options/Save and turned on "Prompt to save Normal template"

4) Exited from Word (clicking on OK to save changes to Normal.dot)

5) Moved all the templates from C:\program files\microsoft
office\office10\startup to my new startup folder

6) Moved all the templates from C:\program files\microsoft
office\office11\startup to my new startup folder

7) Moved all the templates from C:\documents and
settings\jg70124\application data\microsoft\templates to my new templates
folder

8) Opened Word and created a new document

9) Made all my customizations to the toolbars and keyboard shortcuts

10) Did file save as and saved a new template (jg.dot) in the new startup
folder

11) Exited Word

12) Opened Word and created a new document. My toolbar customizations were
not there.

13) I made my customizations again, and tried to save as to my new global
template (jg.dot). Word would not let me save because it said the file was
already open. Instead, saved as jg1.dot into the startup folder

14) Exited, started, created a new doc - still no customizations.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Why exactly is it that you want to move all your templates and the Startup
folder?

 

[Charles Kenyon]

1) Your custom global template is being loaded as a global template. That is
why Word wouldn't let you Save As to it.

2) Are you sure you saved your customizations there rather than in your
current document or in normal.dot?

3) Which version of Word are you using?

4) Your Word Startup folder is different from your templates or Workgroup
templates folder and not in either of those folders, correct?

5) Like Suzanne, I'm curious as to why you want to change your folder
locations.
--

Charles Kenyon

See the MVP FAQ: <URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/> which is awesome!
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[jg70124]

I've moved them to a non-system drive so should I ever have to rebuild my
machine (which I've had to do several times recently), the templates won't
get deleted when I reformat the system drive.

J

 

[jg70124]

1) Your custom global template is being loaded as a global template. That is
why Word wouldn't let you Save As to it.

Ah ha. I get it now.

2) Are you sure you saved your customizations there rather than in your
current document or in normal.dot?

Well, I thought I did - by doing the save as to a .dot in the startup
folder. How can I check?

3) Which version of Word are you using?

XP (2002)

4) Your Word Startup folder is different from your templates or Workgroup
templates folder and not in either of those folders, correct?

Well now. My Word Startup folder is separate from but nested within my
Templates folder. Is that a mistake?

5) Like Suzanne, I'm curious as to why you want to change your folder
locations.
--

To protect them in case of a system drive reformat. (I test lots of
software and so I have to scorch my drive fairly frequently).

 

[Graham Mayor]

It is not a bad plan to have all your personal stuff on a separate drive,
but I am curious why you have two startup folders on the C drive. Only one
will work and if you have two word versions on C, Word will get very
confused.

It is also known that some third party add-ins will interfere with global
templates that change menu/toolbar layouts. It might be better to save these
changes in normal.dot

If you are having problems that require re-installation of the operating
system, then you need Norton Ghost. Backup the OS when all your software is
installed and working and you need never reinstall from scratch again.
Simply replace the Ghost backup.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>>< ><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP
E-mail (e-mail address removed)
Web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site www.mvps.org/word
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[jg70124]

Graham,

Thanks for the Norton tip - I'll check that out.

I think the two startup folders got there because at one point I had Office
2003 installed, but I disliked the new Outlook interface and went back to
2002. I wasn't sure which one was still active, so I moved them both.

Also, I found that if I stored my menu bar customizations in a new menu bar,
instead of in the standard one, then it would save just fine in my new
global addin. So that's what I'm doing now.

J

 

[Graham Mayor]

There's some more info about Ghost on the audio pages of my web site.

You don't like Outlook 2003? Frankly I thought the new Outlook was the best
part of 2003. If you convert the data file to the new format you cannot go
back to Outlook 2002 as the files are incompatible. In any case, If you turn
off the navigation pane, the two look identical.

It is always a good plan to add toolbars rather than editing the originals.
This gives much more control.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>>< ><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP
E-mail (e-mail address removed)
Web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site www.mvps.org/word
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>>< ><<>

 

[Charles Kenyon]

Well, I thought I did - by doing the save as to a .dot in the startup
folder. How can I check?

If you are doing your customizations using the Customize dialog, there is a
window to show what template (or document) will store the customizations.

Well now. My Word Startup folder is separate from but nested within my
Templates folder. Is that a mistake?

Yes, it is. It is quite permissible to have your Templates and/or Workgroup
Templates folder(s) in your Startup folder if this helps with backup. Any
templates in the Templates or WGT folder will show up as available to start
a new document in the File New dialog (although getting to that dialog in
Word 2003 is a bit of a pain, itself). If in a folder that is in the first
level, that folder will show up as a tab in the dialog. If templates are
nested deeper, they show up under the tab for the first-level folder. I
can't think of a situation when you would want to produce a new document
based on an Add-In.
--

Charles Kenyon

See the MVP FAQ: <URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/> which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
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.

 

[jg70124]

Re: Outlook 2003 - I use both the Montly Calendar and the Daily View fairly
extensively. In OL2002, the settings for the two different views were
sticky - that is, I can set up each view the way I like and when I switch
back and forth it retains the settings for the view. (I want the taskpad in
the day view but not the month view). In OL2003, the settings are not
sticky, so every time I switch views I have to change the task pad
settings - 2 or 3 extra clicks.

 

[Graham Mayor]

You need to ask this in an Outlook group. This one is for Word. I have cross
posted it there for you.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>>< ><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

Web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site www.mvps.org/word
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