Word XP "/t" Switch Now Results in Errors

[Scott]

I have been using the Word "/t" switch to make Desktop shortcuts to
open up Word with various templates. This has worked through the last
several versions of Word, including XP for quite some time. Now if I
use the '/t" shortcuts, closing Word now brings up the Yes/No/Cancel
request for that particular template. If I open Word from the
Start/Programs menu - it closes fine without asking to save changes to
the Normal.dot. If I open Word, then do File/New and then select "New
from template", Word closes with asking to save changes to the
selected template. If I do Start/New Office Document and select a
template, it again closes without being saved.

Interestingly (at least to me), if I use a "/t" shortcut and start it
while holding down the Shift key, I do not get the request to save the
template on closing Word.

I have only, I think, updated Adobe Acrobat Professional from version
6 to version 7 before this started to happen. What is confusing
whether this has caused the problem is that I can open up templates
two other ways besides the "/t' switch and any macros, template and
add-ins, or other some such that Acrobat 7 changed should, I expect,
cause the same problem regardless of how Word and a template is
opened.

Sorry this is so long - thanks for reading.

Scott

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If you want to open Word with a document based on a specific template, it's
easier to put a shortcut to that specific template on the desktop, since the
default action of Windows for .dot files is New rather than Open.

 

[Scott]

If you want to open Word with a document based on a specific template, it's
easier to put a shortcut to that specific template on the desktop, since the
default action of Windows for .dot files is New rather than Open.

But then make the template Read Only?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

What does that have to do with it? None of the actions you describe should
cause changes to the template. When you create a new document based on the
template, the template is not changed.

 

[Scott]

What does that have to do with it? None of the actions you describe should
cause changes to the template. When you create a new document based on the
template, the template is not changed.

Because, if I do not set the properties to "Read Only" if I have used
a desktop shortcut to open Word with that template, and then select
File/Save and forget to rename the document, it save any changes to
that template (whatever.dot). If I remember to do File/Save As, it
does prevent me from changing the original template; so does making
the template Read Only wherein either File/Save or Save As does want
to save the document as a new one. Or for that matter - if I do
File/New and select New from template, or open Word based on a
template from the Start/New Office Document.

But if I open Word from the template, this may not be what should be
happening, but it is what is happening. Try it if you would.

Scott

 

[Dian Chapman, MVP, MOS]

When you create a shortcut to a template...the default event for the
double click SHOULD BE to create a NEW document from the template.
That would solve all your read only issues, since you should not be
needing to use read only.

However, your default may have been changed!

Create a shortcut to that template. Then RIGHT click it and you'll see
a shortcut menu appear that will have NEW and OPEN listed...which one
is BOLD? The one that is bold is the default. It SHOULD BE "New." If
so...there's no problem and you must be doing something wrong to get
changes into your template. But if the default that is bold is the
OPEN, then you need to reset that via the Windows Explorer as to the
way the default event is set.

Or just right click and click New until you can get the default fixed.

Dian D. Chapman, Technical Consultant
Microsoft MVP, MOS Certified
Editor/TechTrax Ezine

Free Tutorials: http://www.mousetrax.com/techtrax
Free Word eBook: www.mousetrax.com/books.html
Optimize your business docs: www.mousetrax.com/consulting
Learn VBA the easy way: www.mousetrax.com/techcourses.html

 

[Scott]

When you create a shortcut to a template...the default event for the
double click SHOULD BE to create a NEW document from the template.
That would solve all your read only issues, since you should not be
needing to use read only.

However, your default may have been changed!

Create a shortcut to that template. Then RIGHT click it and you'll see
a shortcut menu appear that will have NEW and OPEN listed...which one
is BOLD? The one that is bold is the default. It SHOULD BE "New." If
so...there's no problem and you must be doing something wrong to get
changes into your template. But if the default that is bold is the
OPEN, then you need to reset that via the Windows Explorer as to the
way the default event is set.

Or just right click and click New until you can get the default fixed.

Dian D. Chapman, Technical Consultant
Microsoft MVP, MOS Certified
Editor/TechTrax Ezine

Free Tutorials: http://www.mousetrax.com/techtrax
Free Word eBook: www.mousetrax.com/books.html
Optimize your business docs: www.mousetrax.com/consulting
Learn VBA the easy way: www.mousetrax.com/techcourses.html

Thanks. I'll look into that.

Scott

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

When you open Word using the /t switch, it does not open the template; it
opens with a document based on that template. There is no risk of saving
changes to the template because you are working in a document, and there is
no risk of not using Save As because the new document thus created is
unnamed. See if this is not the case: when you start Word using the /t
switch, does the title bar show your template name or Document1?

For reference, see "How to use startup command line switches to start Word
2003, Word 2002, and Word 2000" at http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=210565

 

[Scott]

When you open Word using the /t switch, it does not open the template; it
opens with a document based on that template. There is no risk of saving
changes to the template because you are working in a document, and there is
no risk of not using Save As because the new document thus created is
unnamed. See if this is not the case: when you start Word using the /t
switch, does the title bar show your template name or Document1?

For reference, see "How to use startup command line switches to start Word
2003, Word 2002, and Word 2000" at http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=210565

It says Document 1 - not the template name. But as I noted earlier in
this thread, I now get a request to save changes to the template
(every time I close Word) after I have saved the document to a new
name and then try to close Word. I used the /t switch for years, but
sometime since New Years it has developed this quirk.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

The request to save the template is a red herring that is most likely caused
by something outside Word, such as an add-in. Are you running Norton
AntiVirus? Adobe Acrobat?

 

[Scott]

The request to save the template is a red herring that is most likely caused
by something outside Word, such as an add-in. Are you running Norton
AntiVirus? Adobe Acrobat?

Not Norton Antivirus. But I do run Adobe Acrobat Pro v7/ What is
interesting is that if I bring up any of the templates to make a new
document these two other ways, I do not get the request to save upon
closing Word: 1) Start/New Office Document/Select Template, 2) Open
Word/File New/New From Template. If it was indeed a macro or Template
and Add-in causing the problem, why would it only do it using the /t
switch to open a template?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Do you have the same problem if you just use a shortcut to the template?

 

[Scott]

Do you have the same problem if you just use a shortcut to the template?

No. Only when using the /t switch in a shortcut or from Run.

Example:

"D:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\WINWORD.EXE"
/t"C:\Documents and Settings\Scott II\Application
Data\Microsoft\Templates\scott.dot"

Scott

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

In that case, would using a shortcut to the template not be an acceptable
alternative? (At least until we figure out what's causing the other
problem?)

 

[Scott]

In that case, would using a shortcut to the template not be an acceptable
alternative? (At least until we figure out what's causing the other
problem?)

That is what I am going to be doing.

Thanks.

Scott