Problem with template saved on workgroup location 2007

[Arun SP]

In word 2007 have setup a workgroup location for Templates to be shared to
networked user.

But find that when I create a document bASED on a template ( I will be
referring to here as "template xyz.dotm") located in the workgroup location
and save the document. Then I try to reopen the document I get the message.

Title : "File in Use"

template xyz.dotm is locked for editing by 'another user'

Do you want to:
a) Open a Read only copy
b) Create a local copy and merge your changes later
c) Receive notification when the original copy is avaialble

Note I made the network location a trusted source, by clicking on Office
Button, Word Options, Trust Center on left hand side, Trust Center Settings
button on right hand side.

In Trusted Locations on left hand side, choose “Allow Trusted locations on
my networkâ€
Click on “Add new location†button
Add network location of workgroup templates
Click OK
Click OK

any help would be much appreciated on how to stop this message popping up

Arun

 

[Seth Cutter]

I wish I had an answer, but instead I just want to echo your concern and say
that everyone in my office is having the same problem you described.

Seth Cutter
Analyst

 

[Joni Nieminen]

We also have the same problem since installing Office 2007.

The error is very easy to reproduce, yet nobody at microsoft or no MVP have
ever taken the time to try to find out why all Word 2007 templates give this
extremely annoying error message every time you open a template based
document.

Scenario:
Step 1: Two Vista computers, connected through a network. Under Public
Documents, make a folder called Public Templates, and create a word 2007
template there. In Word on both machines, point Word Workgroup templates to
that folder.
Step 2: Create a word document on the other computer (and you could try it
on the same computer) based on that public template, and save it under public
douments. Step 3: Open that document, and you will get the locking error

For documents based on Word 2003 templates, everything works as expected,
the error is only with Word 2007 templates.

That's why we have reverted back to Word 2003 templates in our office. Sadly
we are then unable to take advatage of the new features in 2007, and we are
really waiting for Microsoft to do something, but for the last year and a
half nothing has happened.

 

[Bob Arnett]

I will add my "me too" to this thread for myself and others in my office.
This is quite frustrating and I hope they fix the problem. I like Word 2007
(never used Word before) but this

 

[Bob Arnett]

Evidently the template is "stuck" to the document and I found a way to
"unstick it" on Experts Exchange. This worked for me hope it works for you
guys.

1. Click the Microsoft Office Button Button image, and then click Word
Options.
2. Click Add-Ins.
3. In the Manage list, select Word Add-ins, and then click Go.
4. Click the Templates tab.
5. Under Global templates and add-ins, select the check box next to the
template or add-in that you want to load or unload.
...OR ..
6. Delete the the template path\name from the field just below the words
"Document Template" (that's where the problem was in my case).

 

[Joni Nieminen]

Bob, if you delete the template path, then you are disconnecting the document
from the template, and of course, after that the document will no longer lock
the template because it then no longer has a template! If you want to base a
doument on a template and enable updating changes from the template to the
document later on, the template path cannot and should not be removed! Also,
it would be pretty cumbersome to go through this acrobatics every time you
create a new letter etc. based on a template, which I do tens of times every
day!

 

[Bob Arnett]

Joni, Good point. In my case I do not need the document to be updated if the
template changes but I can see where that could be needed and then, you are
right of course; one should not do what I did. At least temporarily that
resolves my problem, but I hope MS will come up with a real fix for this.
Thanks for another point of view.

 

[J.Enevoldsen]

I don't understand why this question is not receiving attention from the Word
2007 Team. If there's something we're doing wrong, please tell us!

--Julie

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If you expect it to receive attention as a result of your posting here, you
will be waiting a long time. You can send feedback on Office 2007 to
Microsoft at
https://feedback.office.microsoft.com:443/default.aspx?productkey=office2007&scrx=1

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

I don't understand why this question is not receiving attention from the
Word
2007 Team. If there's something we're doing wrong, please tell us!

--Julie

 

[mika2004]

Did anybody ever found a solution for this, as I face the same problem here?

 

[Kim]

We are experiencing the same problem. It appears ito be a definite problem
with Word 2007. I have always had great response back from this discussion
list and MVPs, so I share J. Enevoldsen's frustrations. Please help us.

If you expect it to receive attention as a result of your posting here, you
will be waiting a long time. You can send feedback on Office 2007 to
Microsoft at
https://feedback.office.microsoft.com:443/default.aspx?productkey=office2007&scrx=1

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Expecting help from those who post here regularly is not the same thing as
expecting "attention from the Word 2007 Team." I'm not sure why this
question has not received an answer, but I guess if no one knows the answer,
then it won't get one. I myself have no experience with networks, so I
certainly can't help, but perhaps someone else can.

FWIW, this is the highest-traffic newsgroup in the Word hierarchy because,
even though it's supposedly devoted to "document management," it is the
group designated by Microsoft for "General Questions." Because so many of
the questions posted here are relatively simple, routine ones, a more
difficult, unusual one can get lost in the shuffle. And some of the more
knowledgeable MVPs don't read this NG at all. So it might be more productive
to post a question in one of the more specialized NGs. Though I'm not sure
which one to suggest, microsoft.public.word.application.errors might be a
good start.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

We are experiencing the same problem. It appears ito be a definite problem
with Word 2007. I have always had great response back from this discussion
list and MVPs, so I share J. Enevoldsen's frustrations. Please help us.

 

[bc_word]

I have the same problem.
The users share the workgroup template folder (and also have their own
template folder correctly pointed out). When a user opens a document based on
a template that resides in the the workgroup template folder the message
"template xyz.dotm is locked for editing by 'another user'. (Sometimes the
other users name is visible.)
This looks like a bug to me. Can someone from Microsoft answer?

 

[Kim]

Thank you. Getting another option to report problems is helpful. I wasn't
aware of that one on application errors.

Like I said, I love using this newsgroup and have always found it very
helpful.

 

[mr.lemmy.caution]

Thank you. Getting another option to report problems is helpful. I wasn't
aware of that one on application errors.

Like I said, I love using this newsgroup and have always found it very
helpful.








- Show quoted text -

One of my clients is also struggling with this problem. It seems to
effect non-admin logins more frequently than admin. I have uninstalled
and reinstalled Office2007 - run detect and repair etc. the problem
occurs during normal work hours - It is reproducible but only after
opening numerous documents.

Here is a link that seems to verify the claim that it is an unsolved
bug:
http://www.connect.microsoft.com/onecare/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=377547

Two things that I will investigate this week -
1 - whether Sharepoint is applying a lock file (we're running SBS with
unutilized default Sharepoint implementation)
2 - Writing a batch file which will delete temp files when the problem
occurs. Manually deleting temp files on the other users' systems when
the 'File in Use' message occurs has occasionally solved the problem.