Word Startup Updates Message

[pooley343]

Hi everyone,
I work in a company of 100+ office users and I have created a custom Word menu tab with various macros to roll out automated functions. This is being done by putting a .dotm template file with the relevant code in the users word/Startup folder.



However, I want to include a "Release Notes" screen on startup showing all the latest changes/updates. Now I know this can be quite simple as I could just having a form with an image on it and displaying that form on startup.

However, I know people will start to get annoyed at this popup every time they open Word so I want it to be a bit cleverer than that. I want a few tickboxes so that they can say "Do not show me this again" so that person will never see it again. And also another tickbox saying "Do not show me this until the next update" which will stop showing the message until I change the file in the Startup folder.

Anyone got any ideas on how I can do this?
Many thanks.

[Charles Kenyon]

Have your pop-up userform install a document variable in the ThisDocument.variables that contains both the update number and user choice. Then have your AutoExec in the Add-In check the status of those variables. This takes care of the "not until next update" one but not "never." Be sure to save ThisDocument after the checkbox is used and the variables are updated.

I am assuming that your Add-In gets written to the user's local computer's Word Startup folder when it changes.

On my ribbon Add-Ins, I use a dialog launcher to give an About dialog and make it optional rather than automatic.

[Charles Kenyon]

P.S. Unless you really need the ribbon tab, you can simply save QAT modifications to a template holding your macros. You can give them supertips just like ribbon buttons.

For me, this is much simpler. I have put some of the most-used buttons from my ribbon tab on the QAT so they are always available.

Modifying the QAT and Ribbon in Microsoft Word

I also have my Ribbon tab appear before the Home tab so it will be the first thing the user sees when Word is started.

[pooley343]

Thanks.

I will let you know how I get on with that and if I have any other questions.

P.S. Yes, we do really need a custom tab. We have dozens of templates that people need access to. Plus other custom macros for things like Property control is also in there too. It would be too much to put in the QAT.

[pooley343]

I have managed to get that working now. Thanks for your help.

The solution was as you said. I have a new file (.docx) in the Word Startup folder.

Then my template file (.dotm) in the same folder, runs autoexec() which opens the .docx. Gets the variable, does its stuff, saves it and then closes it.

In order to reset peoples choice, I just put the .docx in the source folder for the log-in script which will re-write the users local copy.