Force an overwrite of Normal.dot

[majorbroncosfan]

We currently have the need to make nightly replacements of normal.dot on multiple machines. Sometimes, it is not much of a problem. However, we are a hospital and have users on the machines 24/7, so some of them don't get overwritten. Does anybody know how to force the normal.dot file to be overwritten remotely?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Walter349]

If the users do not have word open then it should be simple matter to overwite the Normal.dot file. But if word is in use then there is no way of doing it. You could write a script that would shut down all open word sessions on workstations, but that would be time consuming and might generate complaints.
it would be better to modify the word settings so that it points to the default Normal.dot in a single location, then you could update centraly. The document would be renamed when saved anyway and stored either locally or on a file server.

 

[fumei]

And I gotta ask why you are doing this? What requires such a drastic measure??? It seems to me that if you have a need to replace normal.dot daily, something is wrong. What is causing the need to delete normal.dot like that?

I am very curious.



Gerry

 

[majorbroncosfan]

We have a radiology transcription department that insists on going its own way. The only way to make this work is via a centralized AutoText (Normal.dot) file.

 

[Walter349]

I worked in an NHS trust for awhile and if any dept wanted to do its own thing without regard for our advice, we said OK, but we won't support it. it usually didn't take long for them to come around

 

[fumei]

But wait a sec here... if it is centralized why do you need to change it on multiple machines, remotely?

Further, OK, departments/sections do their own thing. We have the same problem. But if they are doing their own thing, on their own normal.dot:

1. normal.dot is not centralized
2. it should not affect anyone else

What are they doing, that is their own thing? How is it affecting anyone else?

I am really trying to get a grasp on a better solution to a daily rewrite of normal.dot. Heck why do you not make normal.dot ReadOnly, then (assuming you have access to this) change access permissions to it, so that they can not change the attribute back again? Then they can not make any changes to normal.dot. End of story.

Tell 'em if they want to make Word do other stuff, write their own global template and use it as an addin.

But really...what are they doing?????????

And is normal.dot centralized, or not?

Gerry