Template File Permissions (3rd Post)

T

Tim

Can anybody tell me what folder/file permissions I should put on a set of
Word templates to prevent users from changing them (it cant be that hard) If
you dont know then dont reply. Especially an MVP who clearly doesnt know
what they are talking about.
 
J

Jezebel

There's no point going on asking the same question hoping for a more
congenial answer. If you've tried 'read-only' and it didn't work, what more
do you think might be out there?
 
D

Daiya Mitchell

Can anybody tell me what folder/file permissions I should put on a set of
Word templates to prevent users from changing them (it cant be that hard) If
you dont know then dont reply. Especially an MVP who clearly doesnt know
what they are talking about.
Click to expand...
Well, I don't know, but I am pretty sure that folder/file permissions would
be an OS issue, not a Word issue. Perhaps you should ask in a Windows
newsgroup, since you are not getting satisfactory advice here?

I would think there are a limited number of ways users could change the
template.
1) open up the template file and make changes
2) use the "add to template" checkbox in the Modify Style dialog

I can't think of any others.

Preventing #1 is definitely an OS or network issue and should be discussed
elsewhere. Preventing #2 would be a Word issue.

I would assume that setting the template as "Read-Only" would prevent the
"add to template" box from saving settings back to the template, but you say
Read-Only is not enough?

Conceivably you could lock down the "add to template" checkbox via some
complicated VBA, but I doubt it's feasible, if it's even possible (and I
can't imagine how it would be, but I don't know VBA). So I doubt that
avenue is worth exploring.

Word 2003 is supposed to have some special controls, locking styles or
somesuch, search the web re how those work and see if it offers anything.
 
S

Suzanne S. Barnhill

FWIW, it's my impression that if you save the template with a "password to
modify," then users will not be able to change it in either of the ways
Daiya (not Maiya) mentioned. Users will be able to open the template, make
changes, and save under another name but not modify the original template.
 
H

Herb Tyson [MVP]

What version of Word are you using? Word 2003 has added a number of
permissions settings that might or might not accomplish what you want. If
you're using Word 2003, open the template in question and choose Tools -
Protect Document. This opens the Protect Document pane. It includes both
formatting and editing restrictions. See if these offer what you're looking
for.

The level of protection any of this offers is inversely related to the
sophistication of your users.
 
J

Jezebel

If you read the previous thread, you'll see that NONE of these things will
achieve what the poster wants. Classic obsessive (a la Santayana): person
who, having lost sight of their objectives, redoubles their efforts.

Idiocy rules.
 
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