Re: Word: Workgroup Templates Question

[Chris Morton <salt -dot- morton -at- gmail -dot- com>]

>
> I'll take a WAG at this:
>
> How about assigning an "alias" drive letter to the location of the
> templates, with that drive letter remaining constant regardless of the
> user's location? Also, you could possibly make use of custom variables to
> facilitate this approach.
>
> For example, run a CMD prompt, enter *SET*, then have a gander at the std.
> variables that are in Windows. You can assign your own for a variety of
> purposes, then make use of the alias drive letter and/or custom vars within
> a batch (CMD) file that automatically runs when they boot their PC.
>
> If at the company site, for example, an *IF EXIST {drive:directory}*routine in a batch file can quickly sniff out whether the user is running
> the PC internally. If the test fails, the user is running the PC external to
> the company and the templates reside at a different mapping.
>
> Consult with one of their network sysops and a batch file guru to help you
> further.
>
> > Chris
>
>   On Wed, Jun 16, 2010 at 12:51 PM, Deborah Hemstreet <
> dvora -at- tech-challenged -dot- com> wrote:
>
>>  *Hi All,
>>
>> I'm wondering if you would advise me about a Workgroup Templates issue
>> relating to MS Word 2003 and possible 2007.
>>
>> I'll give the background, and then the questions:
>>
>> Background
>> I have built numerous Word templates for corporate use. In the past, the
>> recommended means of deployment has been via a shared network drive. In Word
>> 2003, users map via the Options dialog box, to that drive, and then they can
>> create new documents based on the template.
>> I am not sure where or how this is implemented in Word 2007.
>>
>> While this solution works for most employees, some work on laptops and
>> take them home. When working from home, they connect via a different method,
>> and the drive changes. So, either they open the document and work offline
>> and cannot access the template functionality, or they copy the template to
>> their local drive or they connect to the network and reconnect the template.
>>
>> Problem
>> When the employee returns to work, they have to REMAP to the original
>> template location. Or they send the document to someone at work who mapped
>> their template differently to the network, and so somewhere down the chain,
>> linkage to the template is broken and has to be redone. Some people know how
>> to do this, others don't, and all complain that this is tedious and a pain.
>> (I agree)
>>
>> Is there any way to map a template in Word in such a manner that the link
>> to the template is not broken when the user works from home? Is there any
>> way this can be done without copying the template locally to their computer?
>>
>> Does anyone have any suggestions, ideas? My client does NOT like the idea
>> of having to remap to Workgroup Templates every time they work with at work,
>> vs from home.
>>
>> What are the differences for this functionality in Word 2007?
>>
>> Thanks in advance for your suggestions and advice.
>>
>> Deborah
>> *
>>
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