New to Word VBA...



Is there a way to make a .dotm load automatically with Word and be available to all the Word users on the network. I know if you put the .dotm file in the users Word StartUp folder it loads automatically but is there a way to put the file on the network and have it automatically available to all users?

I am concerned about the fact that new Window accounts(users) might be added to the computer and I want to have the Word Startup folder automatically created and the .dotm file be loaded into the Word Startup folder automatically. Is that even possible?

1. The availability of a file is not the same as automatically loading it. The availability of the dotm from the network is strictly a Windows permission state.
If Word is there, there should be a Startup folder. You do not need to create it.
Word can indeed copy files, that is copy a file into Startup; it can also load template (macro) files from ANY folder. But template files in Startup are loaded at Startup, so if you run code FROM WORD to copy a file into Startup, that file will not load until the NEXT Startup.

So. One way would be to have the dotm in everyones Startup, and when a new user comes on board have part of the new user profile ensure that dotm is copied into that user's Startup.

What we did was have a wee tiny dotm copied into each user's Startup, and THAT one loaded a dotm from a network location. That way the REAL dotm was under control of the network, and everyone always loaded the latest. The file, being in one location (rather than multiple files in Startup) made for better management.

I agree that it is best to keep the file on the server and to have individual copies in each user's startup folder. Another method of accomplishing this is through the login script when the user signs in to the network.

It is possible to have user's startup folder location set to a shared network folder, but that has two big disadvatages. The first is that users with laptops lose files there when off the network. The second is that whenever any user has Word open that file will be treated as locked, so you will be unable to make changes unless you get everyone else off from Word.

See also Distributing macros to other users. Note that you can also share keyboard shortcuts, building blocks and QAT modifications through such a Global Template.

You should also look into the concept of the Workgroup Templates folder for document templates. My preference is to also update these through the user login.