Shared Template on a Network Location

C

cLiffordiL

Hi all!
I've created some templates in a folder on the network shared drive, which
I would like other users to create workbooks out of it and not touch the
original templates.
In order to do so, I thought of inserting these templates into the General
Template inside the New... dialog box.
I've put the directory under Tools -> Options -> General -> At startup,
open files in. Then, I restarted Excel and by clicking New..., the templates
are displayed inside the dialog box. However, clicking on any of these
templates somehow does not generate any actions at all.
I've absolutely no idea why Excel is doing nothing upon clicking the
template. Rightfully, at least something should happen, like an error
message box. Would really appreciate any pointers or suggestions.
Cheers!
_______
Clifford
 
R

Ragdyer

Are you by chance using XL02?

There's a bug in that version relating to the procedure you're trying to use
for networking your templates!

If you're *not* using XL02, what you describe should work.

Post back with your version.
 
R

Ragdyer

Also post back if you're using your XL as part of MS Office which includes
Word.
 
C

cLiffordiL

Yes, its XL 2002 and I think it's part of the Standard Package which
includes Word, Excel, Outlook & Powerpoint.
Any fix to this??
________
Clifford
 
R

RagDyeR

There's no fix for the actual procedure that you tried, since Redmond fixed
the bug in XL03, but AFAIK, decided to let it remain in XL02. Strange that
MS didn't fix it, since that procedure (alternate statrt-up file), works in
*every* other version of XL.

BUT, there *are* numerous ways to network your XL templates, probably the
easiest of which is to use the MS Office route by going through Word, which
is why I asked if you had it.

I hope that you *do realize* however, that you must go to *every* machine on
your LAN that you wish to have access to this template file. That would
have also been necessary *even* with the procedure that you originally
tried.
Let's put it this way:
Every *machine* on the LAN will need this file adjustment, whether it's
done by you, or you trust your users to do this themselves.
It is *easy*!

Close XL.
From *Word*:
<Tools> <Options> <File Locations> tab,

In the left column, among others, you will see:
User Templates
WorkGroup Templates

There should be an entry in the right column for "User Templates".
There should be *no* entry in the right column for "WorkGroup Templates".

Click on "WorkGroup Templates", and then click the "Modify" button.
In the "Modify Location" window, navigate to your templates file location
(drive) and folder,
Then <OK>.

And you're done!

The templates in the folder you specified will now be displayed in the
<File> <New> <General> tab window, where clicking on a file will open a
*copy* of the template, preserving the original from modification.

NOW ... you must go to *each* machine, and make this same revision in Word
to *all* of them.

Some NOTES:

You *don't* need .xlt files in the templates folder for this to work.
Regular .xls files will react the same. It's location that counts here, not
file type.

If your templates folder *contains* another folder, this sub-folder will
appear as a *separate* tab in the <File> <New> window, alongside the
"General" tab.
This is great if you have a large number of templates, and you wish to
perhaps segregate them by department or type.
SIDE NOTE:
If this sub-folder is empty (no files), the tab will *not* display in the
<File> <New> window.
It must be populated with XL files for it to show.

You can create numerous sub-folders, where the type of files that *each*
sub-folder contains will dictate in which *program* that tab will be visible
in.

Meaning - XL file sub-folders *only* visible in XL.
Word file sub-folders *only* visible in Word.

If a sub-folder contains *both* XL and Word files, the *tab* will be visible
in *both* programs ... BUT ... the files displayed in that tab will coincide
with the program that opened it. The other programs files will not show.

Don't forget - empty sub-folder are *not* displayed.

--

HTH,

RD
=====================================================
Please keep all correspondence within the Group, so all may benefit!
=====================================================

Yes, its XL 2002 and I think it's part of the Standard Package which
includes Word, Excel, Outlook & Powerpoint.
Any fix to this??
________
Clifford
 
C

cLiffordiL

Thanks heaps!
________
Clifford

RagDyeR said:
There's no fix for the actual procedure that you tried, since Redmond
fixed
the bug in XL03, but AFAIK, decided to let it remain in XL02. Strange
that
MS didn't fix it, since that procedure (alternate statrt-up file), works
in
*every* other version of XL.

BUT, there *are* numerous ways to network your XL templates, probably the
easiest of which is to use the MS Office route by going through Word,
which
is why I asked if you had it.

I hope that you *do realize* however, that you must go to *every* machine
on
your LAN that you wish to have access to this template file. That would
have also been necessary *even* with the procedure that you originally
tried.
Let's put it this way:
Every *machine* on the LAN will need this file adjustment, whether
it's
done by you, or you trust your users to do this themselves.
It is *easy*!

Close XL.
From *Word*:
<Tools> <Options> <File Locations> tab,

In the left column, among others, you will see:
User Templates
WorkGroup Templates

There should be an entry in the right column for "User Templates".
There should be *no* entry in the right column for "WorkGroup Templates".

Click on "WorkGroup Templates", and then click the "Modify" button.
In the "Modify Location" window, navigate to your templates file location
(drive) and folder,
Then <OK>.

And you're done!

The templates in the folder you specified will now be displayed in the
<File> <New> <General> tab window, where clicking on a file will open a
*copy* of the template, preserving the original from modification.

NOW ... you must go to *each* machine, and make this same revision in Word
to *all* of them.

Some NOTES:

You *don't* need .xlt files in the templates folder for this to work.
Regular .xls files will react the same. It's location that counts here,
not
file type.

If your templates folder *contains* another folder, this sub-folder will
appear as a *separate* tab in the <File> <New> window, alongside the
"General" tab.
This is great if you have a large number of templates, and you wish to
perhaps segregate them by department or type.
SIDE NOTE:
If this sub-folder is empty (no files), the tab will *not* display in the
<File> <New> window.
It must be populated with XL files for it to show.

You can create numerous sub-folders, where the type of files that *each*
sub-folder contains will dictate in which *program* that tab will be
visible
in.

Meaning - XL file sub-folders *only* visible in XL.
Word file sub-folders *only* visible in Word.

If a sub-folder contains *both* XL and Word files, the *tab* will be
visible
in *both* programs ... BUT ... the files displayed in that tab will
coincide
with the program that opened it. The other programs files will not show.

Don't forget - empty sub-folder are *not* displayed.

--

HTH,

RD
=====================================================
Please keep all correspondence within the Group, so all may benefit!
=====================================================

Yes, its XL 2002 and I think it's part of the Standard Package which
includes Word, Excel, Outlook & Powerpoint.
Any fix to this??
________
Clifford
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