Stopping modification of Templates

[Guest]

I'm trying to create some basic templates for my office (Different types of
letters, fax cover sheets, etc.).

How can I stop other people from modifying the template? The templates are
accesible through a network at the moment. I know that if everybody else uses
"save as," this won't be a problem, but I have a feeling my office mates will
accidently just hit "save" and change the entire template.

As you can most likely tell, I'm a complete novice with this stuff, and I
don't know if I should be using macros, etc. Any help would be much
appreciated!

(Word 2003)

 

[Guest]

Good Afternoon,

Go to:

Tools
Protect Document
Check the check box under 2. Editing restrictions and select 'Filing in
forms' from the drop down menu.
Click the 'Yes, Start Enforcing Protection' button
Enter in a password
confirm the password

Go to
File
Save As
and save the document (.doc) as a template (dot.)


I hope this helps.

 

[Guest]

Thanks, but I'm still having some trouble. I've tried to protect the
document, but this won't allow for any changes to be made.

Basically, I have a form letter. I want other people to be able to put in
the necessary information without changing the template. All I did to create
this document was type in all the necessary fields and I saved it as a
template. Does that make any sense?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Provided your templates are actual .dot files, users should not have to use
Save As. The default action for a true template (.dot file) is New. That
means that double-clicking on a template or selecting it from the File New
dialog automatically creates an unnamed new document. Your templates should
be placed in the Workgroup Templates folder, whose location is specified on
the File Locations tab of Tools | Options.

--
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.

 

[CyberTaz]

You might want to have a look here as well a Part II:

http://word.mvps.org/faqs/customization/CreateATemplatePart1.htm

If you want parts editable & other parts not you have to create section
breaks to delineate the editable regions.

 

[Guest]

I have read the threads on this topic as I have the same problem as the
person who posted it. I am wondering if there is a way to change the file
path or default location of the templates. Our templates are located in a
Word folder on the main server that everyone has access to. I want to prevent
people from accessing the template directly. Despite instructions, people
continue to open the template through "file open" rather than "new from
existing", changes are then made and saved to the template (ie. person will
open template, type letter and save changes; when template is retrieved,
person's letter is there rather than the precedent).

Can I change the file path location so that when a person retrieves a
template through "new from existing" it will take them directly to the
templates rather than having to navigate their way to the folder where the
templates are located?

Thank you.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If they are actually templates (.dot files), the default action for them
will be New rather than Open. If you're trying to use documents as
templates, then you're doomed to failure. Instead of having to choose New
from Existing, your users should be going directly to the File New dialog,
using either a custom FileNewDialog button (with which you can replace the
New button) or by clicking on Templates | On my computer in the New Document
task pane.

Assuming you're using Word 2003 or earlier, see
http://sbarnhill.mvps.org/WordFAQs/CustomizingWord2002.htm for instructions
to replace the New button with one that will open the File New dialog to
access your templates (both user and workgroup). Make sure that the path to
your workgroup templates is correct on the File Locations tab of Tools |
Options, and they will be displayed along with the local user templates.

--
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.

 

[Guest]

Thank you for your reply, I should have clarified a bit further. I am using
Word 2007. I understand that in older versions of Word I could select the
file path for templates located "on my computer" or "on my websites".

Our templates are word documents created/saved as templates. In Word 2007,
when I retrieve a template, I do the following:

- Office | New | New From Existing
- a dialogue box opens up in word entitled "New From Existing Document"
- the dialogue box opens up in my last location in Word not in a default
location

I would like to change the settings so when I retrieve a template, it will
always open up in the same default location and I do not need to navigate to
the folder each time I need a template.

I hope I have explained this more clearly and that you are able to offer a
solution. Thank you.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

"New from Existing Document" creates a new document based on a document, not
a template, so you're still not doing it right. Your "template" to be a true
template, needs to be a .dot (or .dotx/.dotm) file, saved in the Newsgroup
Templates folder location and accessed via Office Button | New.

--
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.

 

[Lisa N.]

All of the documents saved in this location have been saved as templates and
have a ".dotx" ending so I am not sure what it is I am doing wrong.

Nonetheless, I have moved the templates to "My Trusted Templates" folder
which allows me to retrieve them through one step, however, these are firm
templates which are now located only on my hard drive. Can you tell me where
in Word I can change the file path so that everyone in our office can access
the same set of templates? (In the past versions of Word, this was done
through Tools | Options | File Locations. I would then change the file path
to indicate where the templates were located. When I selected templates under
File | New it retrieved the documents from the location I specified.)

What is the purpose of the "Templates | New From Existing Folder ..." if it
is not for retrieving templates?

Thank you, Lisa