Visio Shape Files don't show up...

[JConey]

I have been using Visio 2003 for a while and recently found some older
Stencil and template files (visio 5 thru 2002) that I'd like to use I placed
them in the directory with my stencils. However when I try to open them they
don't even show up on the dropdown list. Like they aren't there at all. I
checked the Dir and they are there and Windows acknoledges that they are
visio files, chagens the icon for them and they appear the same as the other
stencil files. If I double click on them they open in visio in a seperate
window. Do I have to manually open all 138 of these and drag them into new
stencil sets? There has got to be a better way! Any suggestions?

 

[Paul Herber]

I have been using Visio 2003 for a while and recently found some older
Stencil and template files (visio 5 thru 2002) that I'd like to use I placed
them in the directory with my stencils. However when I try to open them they
don't even show up on the dropdown list. Like they aren't there at all. I
checked the Dir and they are there and Windows acknoledges that they are
visio files, chagens the icon for them and they appear the same as the other
stencil files. If I double click on them they open in visio in a seperate
window. Do I have to manually open all 138 of these and drag them into new
stencil sets? There has got to be a better way! Any suggestions?

You need to tell Visio where they are
menu Tools -> Options -> Advanced -> File Paths
and add the path to your stencils and templates into the Stencils and
Templates path entries. Separate multiple paths with a ;

 

[JConey]

Paul, Thanks, that did help. Maybe it was a refresh kind of thing. The
stencil files were in the same directory as the current stencils but for some
reason wasn't seeing them until I did as you suggested and simply pointed to
the directory it was already using for the other stencils... Seems like the
menu needs to be forced to re-acknowledge whats there. At anyrate it worked!