Normal.dot with macros

[Guest]

I have a user trying to send out an updated normal.dot file (this is in a
medical environment, they are using Word for medical transcription. The
normal.dot includes macros needed to access doctor's templates.) When she
sends it to herself, the macros show up just fine in the document, but shen
she emails it to anyone else, the macros disappear.

I also posted this on the OE6 board. I'm just trying to broaden my base for
responses.

Any ideas?

Tony

 

[Guest]

My guess would be that she is running Mediu, or low security on her office
system, which is allowing the macros to run, but theother people she is
sending them to have either very high or high security which is disabling the
macros thus making it appear that they are missing.
To change the macro security setting (In Word 2003) click on Tools, Macro,
and Security then select the appropriate setting. But be aware, you could be
leaving yourself vulnerable to security risks by selecting too low a setting.

 

[Jezebel]

Quite a few corporate networks simply block all transmission of emails
containing files containing macro code. Depending on the network, it might
be possible to post the file to a common drive, then email people a link to
it. For one of my clients, I found it worked to post the files on my website
and send a link to that.

 

[Charles Kenyon]

In addition to the advice you've been given, normal.dot is not a template
that should be sent out, at least with that name. Doing so is likely to make
the recipient _very_ unhappy when it overwrites all of their macros and
AutoText. At a minimum, give the copy a different name and have it installed
as a global template on the recipient's system. See
http://addbalance.com/word/movetotemplate.htm for step-by-step instructions
on moving / sharing / copying / backing-up customizations including
AutoText, AutoCorrect, keyboard assignments, toolbars, macros, etc.

To have any chance of getting past a lot of antivirus software, your user is
probably going to have to put the template into a zip file.
--

Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide


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and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.

 

[Guest]

I have had her try to send it to me, and I have low security set on my sytem,
but it still stripped the macros.

Tony

 

[Guest]

As I stated in the original question, this is a unique use of word in a
medical transcription environment (technically speaking, they are using
Dictaphone text with uses Word as a base program for medical transcription.).
They frequently change the normal.dot to udpate the global template as the
needs change. Previously they have just copied this to a disk and installed
in on the individual machines. There are now over 40 transcriptionist at
home, and no easy way to do that.

Thanks,

Tony

 

[Charles Kenyon]

Again, stop using normal.dot for this purpose. Use a different global
template. Normal.dot is designed to hold personal preferences and
modifications, not shared ones.
--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide


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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.

 

[Guest]

They have been using this method for about two years. The problem now seems
to be that the corporation has just switched from Groupwise to Outlook for
email. They have emailed updated normal.dot files in the past. You may not
agree with this, but it has served their purpose for two years. They are now
only running into problems in sending it out over outlook. They have their
reasons for using this method of updating settings, for which this forum is
really to limiting to go into.

Obviously you disagree with this method, and will most likely not be able to
give me any real help in proceeding in this way.

Thanks,

Tony

 

[Charles Kenyon]

I've already told you to package the file in a zip file for emailing. I've
also told you how to package it in something other than normal.dot. I think
that is all the help you'll get.
--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide


--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
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.

 

[Guest]

The end users are all quite computer illiterate. They have no winzip on
thier computers and trying to get them all to have it would be more trouble
than it's worth.

I don't know why you decided to take this personally. I certainly didn't
mean for you to take my post as a personal attack. I guess I will have to
seek help elsewhere.

Sorry to have bothered you.

Tony

 

[Charles Kenyon]

Dealing with zipped folders is built into recent versions of Windows.
--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide


--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
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.

 

[Charles Kenyon]

Hi Tony,

I'm not taking it personally. I guess I'm in the position of a car mechanic
being asked the best way to run a car without brakes because the owner wants
to save on gas mileage. I tell the owner to inflate the tires to the right
amount and to keep the brakes working. The owner responds, "but that is how
I've always saved on gas!"

By overwriting normal.dot, you are, at a minimum limiting the ability of
users to set up their own workspace. You are likely losing productivity; and
you can do what you want by using a different global template instead.
--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide


--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
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.