Replacing a Word 2003 Template

[Guest]

1. Original document was created using a template located on a file server.
2. The document and template were moved to a new file server.
3. Word now takes about 5 minutes to load the document on the new file server.
4. Reason for delay is that Word is still trying to access the original template on the original file server (which no longer exists).
5. Using Tools->Templates & Add-ins -> Attach to point to template location on the new file server does not help with this problem.
6. Using Tools->Templates & Add-ins -> [Checkbox] Automatically Update document styles does not help with this problem.
7. Using Tools->Options->File Locations ->User Templates to point to template location on the new file server does not help with this problem.

In spite of all these measures, Word _still_ takes 5 minutes to load a document that would normally take several seconds to load. Word is _still_ trying to access template files in the old location on the old file server (which no longer exists).

Anyone else experience this problem and know how to resolve it?
How do you purge old template references and replace them with new ones?

- GF

 

[Charles Kenyon]

First, do not check the box to automatically update styles unless you want
to mess up your document. It is rare to want to have this checked, and even
more rare to want to leave it checked.

After reattaching the template to your document, do you save the document?
--

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

See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
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.

1. Original document was created using a template located on a file server.
2. The document and template were moved to a new file server.
3. Word now takes about 5 minutes to load the document on the new file server.
4. Reason for delay is that Word is still trying to access the original

template on the original file server (which no longer exists).

5. Using Tools->Templates & Add-ins -> Attach to point to template

location on the new file server does not help with this problem.

6. Using Tools->Templates & Add-ins -> [Checkbox] Automatically Update

document styles does not help with this problem.

7. Using Tools->Options->File Locations ->User Templates to point to

template location on the new file server does not help with this problem.

In spite of all these measures, Word _still_ takes 5 minutes to load a

document that would normally take several seconds to load. Word is _still_
trying to access template files in the old location on the old file server
(which no longer exists).

 

[Guest]

First, do not check the box to automatically update styles unless you want
to mess up your document. It is rare to want to have this checked, and even
more rare to want to leave it checked.

Okay I wll uncheck this checkbox.
I was trying to exercise all relevant possibilities.

After reattaching the template to your document, do you save the document?

Yes. Then exit Word. Then re-open the saved document (and wait 5 minutes for it to load).

 

[Guest]

Can someone at MS (possibly an MVP?) verify that this is a problem with Word 2003?

It should be easy to re-create the problem given the steps provided so far.

BTW, this problem has been verified in the following ways:

1. When the old file server was brought back on line, the problem goes away when opening a file on the new file server (thus indicating that Word had located the template file using the original reference).

2. When a Recovered Data file was generated for files that would not open immediately, references to the template file on the old file server were found at the end of the Recovered Data file (thus indicating that purging of old template file information had failed to occur).

- GF

 

[Charles Kenyon]

I am not at MS. MVPs are not at MS. We are all volunteers. MS does not
monitor these newsgroups. If you want help from them, contact their support
team.

This is _not_ a problem with my Word 2003.

Where are the documents you are opening stored?
Network
Local hard drive
floppy drive (BAD idea)
CD-ROM (poor idea)
--

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

See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
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.

Can someone at MS (possibly an MVP?) verify that this is a problem with Word 2003?

It should be easy to re-create the problem given the steps provided so far.

BTW, this problem has been verified in the following ways:

1. When the old file server was brought back on line, the problem goes

away when opening a file on the new file server (thus indicating that Word
had located the template file using the original reference).

2. When a Recovered Data file was generated for files that would not open

immediately, references to the template file on the old file server were
found at the end of the Recovered Data file (thus indicating that purging of
old template file information had failed to occur).

 

[Guest]

I am not at MS. MVPs are not at MS. We are all volunteers. MS does not
monitor these newsgroups. If you want help from them, contact their support
team.

I must be really naive. I actually thought that MS would monitor discussion groups that are hosted on their own web site (www.microsoft.com).

This is _not_ a problem with my Word 2003.

Does this mean you have tried to re-create the problem following the steps I have described?

Where are the documents you are opening stored?

-> Network (Windows based Server).

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Microsoft does sort of monitor some of the public NGs. Customers who have
specific kinds of support contracts can ask questions in specific NGs and
get answers from MS if no one else has answered within 24 hours (or maybe
it's 48), but for the most part these are peer support NGs.

I suspect that what Charles is saying is that your experience is not
typical. I personally have no experience with networks, but the conventional
wisdom is that attaching the template in its new location should take care
of the problem.

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

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

I must be really naive. I actually thought that MS would monitor

discussion groups that are hosted on their own web site (www.microsoft.com).

 

[Charles Kenyon]

1) User templates location should be the local hard drive (or a personal
network folder). This is the location that holds normal.dot, which should
_not_ be shared.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;811468 This might be
slowing down the opening of Word but should not slow down the opening of
individual documents.

2) Workgroup templates location can be a network drive. My preference is to
have a network folder hold the workgroup templates and to have the contents
of that folder copied / updated to a local folder as a part of login. This
allows for easier maintenance.

For more on the different kinds of templates and locations of templates
folders see http://addbalance.com/usersguide/templates.htm.

However, it is not these folder locations that matter for purposes of
opening an existing document but the actual path to the template. I have
never heard of someone having a problem with time to open an existing
document once attached template has been changed / updated and the document
saved. Are the documents being opened from the same location in which they
were saved by the same user?

In years of monitoring these newsgroups I've seen _very_ few responses from
MS personnel (and only in a few newsgroups). Perhaps I haven't been looking.
The MVPs are definitely not MS personnel, nor am I. These newsgroups are set
up for peer to peer support.

When you are waiting 5 minutes (?!) for the document to load is Word,
itself, already open?
--

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

See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
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.