For what you describe, you could use a macro like the following. Simply add the macro to a document with your new header:
Code:
Sub UpdateDocumentHeaders()
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Dim strFolder As String, strFile As String
Dim wdDocTgt As Document, wdDocSrc As Document
Dim Sctn As Section, HdFt As HeaderFooter
strFolder = GetFolder
If strFolder = "" Then Exit Sub
Set wdDocSrc = ActiveDocument
strFile = Dir(strFolder & "\*.doc", vbNormal)
While strFile <> ""
If strFolder & "\" & strFile <> wdDocSrc.FullName Then
Set wdDocTgt = Documents.Open(FileName:=strFolder & "\" & strFile, _
AddToRecentFiles:=False, Visible:=False)
With wdDocTgt
For Each Sctn In .Sections
'For Headers
For Each HdFt In Sctn.Headers
With HdFt
If .Exists Then
If Sctn.Index = 1 Then
.Range.FormattedText = _
wdDocSrc.Sections.First.Headers(HdFt.Index).Range.FormattedText
.Range.Characters.Last = vbNullString
ElseIf .LinkToPrevious = False Then
.Range.FormattedText = _
wdDocSrc.Sections.First.Headers(HdFt.Index).Range.FormattedText
.Range.Characters.Last = vbNullString
End If
End If
End With
Next
'For footers
For Each HdFt In Sctn.Footers
With HdFt
If .Exists Then
If Sctn.Index = 1 Then
.Range.FormattedText = _
wdDocSrc.Sections.First.Footers(HdFt.Index).Range.FormattedText
.Range.Characters.Last = vbNullString
ElseIf .LinkToPrevious = False Then
.Range.FormattedText = _
wdDocSrc.Sections.First.Footers(HdFt.Index).Range.FormattedText
.Range.Characters.Last = vbNullString
End If
End If
End With
Next
Next
.Close SaveChanges:=True
End With
End If
strFile = Dir()
Wend
Set wdDocSrc = Nothing: Set wdDocTgt = Nothing
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub
Function GetFolder() As String
Dim oFolder As Object
GetFolder = ""
Set oFolder = CreateObject("Shell.Application").BrowseForFolder(0, "Choose a folder", 0)
If (Not oFolder Is Nothing) Then GetFolder = oFolder.Items.Item.Path
Set oFolder = Nothing
End Function
As coded, the macro assumes the document you're running the macro from has only one Section, with up to three populated headers (as allowed by Word), and that all headers in the target document are to be updated to match the source document's primary header & footer. If you only want to update headers in the first Section, delete the footer loop and delete 'For Each Sctn In .Sections' and it's 'Next' later in the code and change 'For Each HdFt In Sctn.Headers' to 'For Each HdFt In .Sections(1).Headers'.