Word template error when 2008 template is opened on windows

[elpada]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I have a bunch of templates that were created recently in Word 2008. I've never had any compability issues with my staff before that use Word 2003. However, i was always using templates that were created in Word 2003 and only filled in in 2004/2008. These are fillable forms with blank "formfield" text boxes, check boxes and dropdowns. When my staff opens and i open under parallels the new forms we all get an error that says in Windows that it can't open the path to the template using OSX file path, i.e. with : (colons starting with Macintosh HD:....). The form is viewable but not printable. When printed it prints gibberish. Thoughts?

 

[Tim Murray]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I have a bunch of templates that were created recently in Word 2008. I've
never had any compability issues with my staff before that use Word 2003.
However, i was always using templates that were created in Word 2003 and only

filled in in 2004/2008. These are fillable forms with blank "formfield" text
boxes, check boxes and dropdowns. When my staff opens and i open under
parallels the new forms we all get an error that says in Windows that it
can't open the path to the template using OSX file path, i.e. with : (colons
starting with Macintosh HD:....). The form is viewable but not printable.
When printed it prints gibberish. Thoughts?

Does a template need to be attached or linked at all?

 

[elpada]

No, the tempate doesn't need to be attached. The template is saved as a .doc format when i save it when the form is filled out and saved. That probably is the problem, i guess that the template is going along with it, but i don't know how to stop it.

 

[John McGhie]

Yes, that's it: When you create a document from a template, it remains
attached to the template you created it from.

There's a bug in Office 2008 linking: some of the link paths are constructed
using colons as path separators, like the old Mac OS. Word should be coding
them with UNIX-standard forward slashes.

Windows was changed some years back to treat back slashes and forward
slashes as equivalent, so it could handle standard file paths from either
system. But it can't handle colons because they have special significance
in a file name.

You can deal with this by using Tools>Templates and Add-Ins. Click "Attach"
and attach your Normal.dotm template before saving the file for others to
use. That will get rid of the link and the error.

If the document NEEDS to be attached to the template (most do not, but the
template may contain things needed by the document) you could try
re-attaching it from a Windows machine: Mac Word will be comfortable with
that

Cheers

No, the tempate doesn't need to be attached. The template is saved as a .doc
format when i save it when the form is filled out and saved. That probably is
the problem, i guess that the template is going along with it, but i don't
know how to stop it.

--
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Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[elpada]

thanks... i'll mess around with it.