Workgroup Templates from a file server crashing recipients?!

[chrisjscott]

I've created a bunch of office-related templates that are stored on our
shared file server. All of our clients have their "Workgroup Templates"
pref pointed to see these templates.

The problem is that whenever we send out a Word/Excel document created
using these templates, the recipient's machine insists on trying to
find OUR file server, as if there's some sort of link embedded in the
template to it!

The templates have two simple graphics in them (header and footer)
neither of which are stored extraneous to the template file itself...
I'm at a loss and this is causing major headaches. Anybody have any
idea what I could be doing wrong?

 

[garfield-n-odie [MVP]]

See http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=830561 "Documents that
have attached templates take a long time to open in Word 2002 and
in Word 2003".

 

[chrisjscott]

Is it just me or does this basically make "workgroup templates"
completely unusable? It's ludicrous to have such a feature but then
have any recipient of the document not be able to open it w/o serious
hassle (we're getting system crashed reported, not just prolonged file
open times).

The fix that's detailed involves a registry change on each and every
machine, which is completely unreasonable... am I missing something
here?

 

[garfield-n-odie [MVP]]

You're missing the difference between a workgroup member and an
external recipient.

 

[chrisjscott]

Are you saying that workgroup templates are only intended for people
within the organization, ones w/ constant access to those same
templates?

That would certainly explain my problem (!)...

 

[garfield-n-odie [MVP]]

Exactly

 

[chrisjscott]

This is driving me nuts now... so, I've removed the path for "workgroup
templates" and have instead added a shortcut to the network directory
in the local user's /Documents and Settings/<user>/Application
Data/Microsoft/Templates directory.

Now people get a "Office Templates" (the name of the directory on our
file server) tab added to their New document dialog box.

But the results are still the same!!!!

Is the only way to do this to physically copy the templates to each and
every machine? So every time I need to add a new template or modify an
existing one I have to revisit each client machine?

 

[garfield-n-odie [MVP]]

If you have Word templates that everyone in your workgroup should
have access to, then put the templates in a network folder, and
point Workgroup Templates to that network folder. People outside
your workgroup will experience a delay when opening a Word
document that has a template attached from the network folder.

Physically copying shared templates to each and every user's
".../Documents and Settings/<user>/Application
Data/Microsoft/Templates" folder (instead of putting shared
templates in a Workgroup Templates folder) is not a good idea for
logistical and maintenance reasons. And doing so will not give
people outside your workgroup access to the styles, macros,
toolbars, etc., that are in the shared templates, but those
people won't experience the opening delay if the Word document is
based on a local template instead of a network template.

You clearly don't understand how templates work. See
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/attachtemplate/index.html for
some information that might help.