Word Template 1

[mizzy]

Hi there,

Strange problem here. We have a server that is being decommissioned. It was an old file server. The problem is that when this server is shutdown some of our older word doucments (moved to the new server) cause word to hang when they are opened.
The templates used to create these docs have been moved to the new server. The workstations are pointing to these templates...
As soon as this server is brought back up bang the docs open immediatley.
It must be the templates isn't it...

 

[Madawc]

Try Tools > Templates and Add-Ins. Select Attach and attach the document to the proper template. See if it then works.

Madawc Williams (East Anglia, UK). Using Windows XP & Crystal 10

 

[mizzy]

Thanks I'll try that.

Is there a simple explanation to the difference between templates and add-ins?

 

[Madawc]

No idea - I've only ever used templates. Does anyone else know?

Madawc Williams (East Anglia, UK). Using Windows XP & Crystal 10

 

[fumei]

Technically, I suppose, there is no difference. They are both .dot files.

The actual difference is that an "add-in" is a .dot file that is loaded as a global template. The purpose of which is to make VBA code/toobars yadda yadda available. ONLY code. They are not (generally) used to create documents. They are usually blank in terms of document content, as again, their purpose is to hold code/procedures. They can be loaded automatically (by being in the Startup folder), or they can be loaded dynamically - and therefore can be UNloaded dynamically. If they are load automatically, they remain loaded for the entire Word session. It is important to note that the file is not opened.

A "template" (also a .dot file) is used to create (clone) documents. The purpose is to make documents.

mizzy, you may want to run code to batch attach the new location of the templates to the documents.



faq219-2884

Gerry
My paintings and sculpture

 

[mizzy]

Gerry

Many thanks for the reply.

Do you think that this is my problem? Word documents not being able to find the template? I've tried to replicate the problem by creating documents from templates and then deleting the template, but the document still opens no problem.

 

[mintjulep]

The documents created with the old templates probably have the templates "attached".

When you open them, word tries to find them, and spends considerable time at the effort - trying to find the server that isn't there anymore - before it gives up and allows the document to open.

Your attempt to duplicate the problem by deleting a template is different. Word can quickly find the location where the template is supposed to be, sees that the template is no longer there, and gets on with life.

You could set the .AttachedTemplate property of all the docs to null. (.AttachedTemplate = ""). That should solve the problem.

 

[mizzy]

Many thanks for that mintjulep. I've writen a quick vbscript setting the templet to normal (null does not seem to want to work). I need to test it on the problem docs.

I've just one other question. On these problem docs I have found that the "Templates and Add-Ins" under the Tools menu is unselectable, its greyed out.
Any idea what this might be?

 

[fumei]

Or you can RE-attach the template to the documents. As I mentioned, batch process the document files and reattach the template from the new location.

As for the greyed out menu item templates and Addins....ummmmm, don't know.

faq219-2884

Gerry
My paintings and sculpture

 

[mintjulep]

Gerry,

Any idea what the implications or advantages of having a template attached vs. setting .AttachedTemplate = "" are?

We have probably 50,000 documents that have null for the attached template, and have come across no apparent down side.

 

[fumei]

Then they are not really using templates properly. Or perhaps more accurately, not really using them at all.

Any idea what the implications or advantages of having a template attached vs. setting .AttachedTemplate = "" are?

Then those documents mostly likely have all manual formatting. A cardinal sin in Word.

First of all, you can not, AFAIK, set the AttachedTemplate to "".

You state that you have thousands of document that have null for the attached template. I don't believe it. I am willing to be convinced otherwise, but I have never seen a Word document without an attached template.

faq219-2884

Gerry
My paintings and sculpture

 

[mintjulep]

Well, all created with various procedures that include the line

ActiveDocument.AttachedTemplate = ""

Word never balked at it.

I see however, that the documents have in fact defaulted back to having normal.dot as the attached template.

At any rate, ActiveDocument.AttachedTemplate = "" solved a problem that appeared similar to mizzy's.

As to using manual formatting, I'll admit to being a sinner, and a ignorant one at that.

So I'll reform my question.

Were I not an ignorant infidel, and used templates properly, as God and Bill Gates envisioned, what would be the implications of detaching a template from a document created from that template?

 

[fumei]

I see however, that the documents have in fact defaulted back to having normal.dot as the attached template.

Da-dah! All documents have templates. If you do attach one (which happens when you cloned a template into a new document), then Word will use normal.dot.

All documents have attached templates.

What are the implication is attaching a different template? I will repeat this...you can NOT "detach" a template from a document. You can attach a different one though. What are the implications?

Since you are not using Styles (as god and bill gates intended), then probably very little. The actual implication is that anything particular to that template will no longer be accessible to the document.

faq219-2884

Gerry
My paintings and sculpture