How do I access a new Word Macro on multiple network computers?

[Leslie at Offices of Stephen S. Chapman]

I've created a new Macro in Word. Apparently, it appears to be maintained on
my individual computer. How can I share this macro with other Network
computers or move it to a level where it can be accessed by other network
computers. I do not see anything helpful in the Word Help menu.

 

[Jay Freedman]

On Tue, 19 Jun 2007 15:23:07 -0700, Leslie at Offices of Stephen S.
Chapman <Leslie at Offices of Stephen S.

I've created a new Macro in Word. Apparently, it appears to be maintained on
my individual computer. How can I share this macro with other Network
computers or move it to a level where it can be accessed by other network
computers. I do not see anything helpful in the Word Help menu.

See http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/MacrosVBA/DistributeMacros.htm.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
newsgroup so all may benefit.

 

[NZ VBA Developer]

Leslie,

Word doesn't provide any sort of 'share this macro with everybody'
functionality, so you won't find anything in the Word Help that will be
directly applicable. Instead macros are shared by sharing the template that
contains the macro. Have a look at the Help topics on template locations to
first understand how templates can be shared.

Next you'll need to put the macro into a template other than your copy of
the 'normal.dot' and share this template with other users in your office.
However, how you share this template all depends on how Word and your network
are configured. If Word is set up to use a shared location for Startup
templates, then you can put the template containing your macro in this
location. The next time any user starts Word, this template and the macro it
contains will be loaded automatically - assuming that all the other users are
also pointing to the same Startup location.

I suggest that you have a poke around in Word and see what the Startup
templates location is [Tools | Options | File Locations --> Startup]. If this
is a shared location on your network, you're halfway there. (And if it's not,
you may need to do a lot more work - more than I can tell you about here.
Best that you get your IT support involved.) After that have a cruise through
the MSDN articles on Startup templates to gain a better understanding of how
this functionality works.

The other option depends on the purpose of your macro. If it's intended for
use with just one type of document (such as a letter) rather than any and all
documents, you could put the macro into a template specifically for this type
of document and share that template. Again, how you share this template
depends on the configuration of Word and your network. In this case, if Word
is set up to use a shared Workgroup templates location [Tools | Options |
File Locations --> Workgroup templates], it's simply a matter of putting the
template into the proper location and directing users to use this template to
create letters (or whatever type of document).

If all this sounds like too much for you have a look in the Yellowpages for
someone in your local area who specialises in customising Word. If you're
working for the Stephen S. Chapman in Plano, Texas (thanks Google!), I'm sure
you can find somebody. Otherwise, I'm happy to pop over from New Zealand to
give you a hand - just post me a plane ticket and I'm there.

Cheers!

 

[Leslie at Offices of Stephen S. Chapman]

Thanks. Sounds like it may be easier to create the macro on each computer
(there are only 3!) Thanks for your help.

Leslie,

Word doesn't provide any sort of 'share this macro with everybody'
functionality, so you won't find anything in the Word Help that will be
directly applicable. Instead macros are shared by sharing the template that
contains the macro. Have a look at the Help topics on template locations to
first understand how templates can be shared.

Next you'll need to put the macro into a template other than your copy of
the 'normal.dot' and share this template with other users in your office.
However, how you share this template all depends on how Word and your network
are configured. If Word is set up to use a shared location for Startup
templates, then you can put the template containing your macro in this
location. The next time any user starts Word, this template and the macro it
contains will be loaded automatically - assuming that all the other users are
also pointing to the same Startup location.

I suggest that you have a poke around in Word and see what the Startup
templates location is [Tools | Options | File Locations --> Startup]. If this
is a shared location on your network, you're halfway there. (And if it's not,
you may need to do a lot more work - more than I can tell you about here.
Best that you get your IT support involved.) After that have a cruise through
the MSDN articles on Startup templates to gain a better understanding of how
this functionality works.

The other option depends on the purpose of your macro. If it's intended for
use with just one type of document (such as a letter) rather than any and all
documents, you could put the macro into a template specifically for this type
of document and share that template. Again, how you share this template
depends on the configuration of Word and your network. In this case, if Word
is set up to use a shared Workgroup templates location [Tools | Options |
File Locations --> Workgroup templates], it's simply a matter of putting the
template into the proper location and directing users to use this template to
create letters (or whatever type of document).

If all this sounds like too much for you have a look in the Yellowpages for
someone in your local area who specialises in customising Word. If you're
working for the Stephen S. Chapman in Plano, Texas (thanks Google!), I'm sure
you can find somebody. Otherwise, I'm happy to pop over from New Zealand to
give you a hand - just post me a plane ticket and I'm there.

Cheers!

I've created a new Macro in Word. Apparently, it appears to be maintained on
my individual computer. How can I share this macro with other Network
computers or move it to a level where it can be accessed by other network
computers. I do not see anything helpful in the Word Help menu.

 

[Bear]

Leslie:

It's not always easier to create the macro on each computer. NZ's reply was
long, but that's just because he covered almost every aspect in an
introductory way. Please take the time to understand what he's saying,
because when you do a second or third macro, or improve on the first macro,
recreating your work on each computer will get to be REAL draggy.

One "easy" method that's possible (and better than recreating the macros)
would be to copy your template file (maybe it's Normal.dot) onto a removable
storage medium, then take that to the different machines. (Or do it across a
LAN.)

Make sure you keep regular backups of your Normal.dot file, as it's
sometimes subject to corruption.

After you're more comfortable, consider some of the other options NZ
suggested, like storing macros in specific document templates, or making a
"global" startup template to hold the tools you all use for all documents.

Bear
--
Windows XP, Word 2000

Thanks. Sounds like it may be easier to create the macro on each computer
(there are only 3!) Thanks for your help.

Leslie,

Word doesn't provide any sort of 'share this macro with everybody'
functionality, so you won't find anything in the Word Help that will be
directly applicable. Instead macros are shared by sharing the template that
contains the macro. Have a look at the Help topics on template locations to
first understand how templates can be shared.

Next you'll need to put the macro into a template other than your copy of
the 'normal.dot' and share this template with other users in your office.
However, how you share this template all depends on how Word and your network
are configured. If Word is set up to use a shared location for Startup
templates, then you can put the template containing your macro in this
location. The next time any user starts Word, this template and the macro it
contains will be loaded automatically - assuming that all the other users are
also pointing to the same Startup location.

I suggest that you have a poke around in Word and see what the Startup
templates location is [Tools | Options | File Locations --> Startup]. If this
is a shared location on your network, you're halfway there. (And if it's not,
you may need to do a lot more work - more than I can tell you about here.
Best that you get your IT support involved.) After that have a cruise through
the MSDN articles on Startup templates to gain a better understanding of how
this functionality works.

The other option depends on the purpose of your macro. If it's intended for
use with just one type of document (such as a letter) rather than any and all
documents, you could put the macro into a template specifically for this type
of document and share that template. Again, how you share this template
depends on the configuration of Word and your network. In this case, if Word
is set up to use a shared Workgroup templates location [Tools | Options |
File Locations --> Workgroup templates], it's simply a matter of putting the
template into the proper location and directing users to use this template to
create letters (or whatever type of document).

If all this sounds like too much for you have a look in the Yellowpages for
someone in your local area who specialises in customising Word. If you're
working for the Stephen S. Chapman in Plano, Texas (thanks Google!), I'm sure
you can find somebody. Otherwise, I'm happy to pop over from New Zealand to
give you a hand - just post me a plane ticket and I'm there.

Cheers!

I've created a new Macro in Word. Apparently, it appears to be maintained on
my individual computer. How can I share this macro with other Network
computers or move it to a level where it can be accessed by other network
computers. I do not see anything helpful in the Word Help menu.