Best location to install a custom Word Template accessible to All Users?

Question

Folks,

My company has built a macro-enabled Word template (.dotm) that, in the past, was installed to each end-user's default Templates location. With all the new security built into Windows 7, such a per-user installation is doable but problematic and we are moving towards an "All Users" installation. At first, it seemed the ideal location would be  \Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Templates as it is one of the few built-in trusted template locations, but this means a user could never change any aspect of the template itself (style sheet, building blocks, etc.) since standard users cannot write to this location, only read.  If we store in another All Users location, such as underneath \ProgramData, so that we can now write to the template, this location is untrusted by default and every user would have to manually trust the location under Word options, or IT departments would need to set the location to be trusted using the Enterprise Office settings tools (and IT doesn't generally like doing this). 

* Does anyone have ideas on a trusted All Users location that users can write to?

* Or, does anyone know if it's possible, during an installation, to set a new custom folder to be a trusted location in Office (e.g. via Installshield or similar program)?

Many thanks in advance

Answer 1

You create a folder for the shared template(s) and configure Word to look there for its workgroup templates (see under File|Options|Advanced>General>File Locations).

For advice on configuring 'Trusted Locations', see: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179039(v=office.14).aspx

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Cheers
Paul Edstein
[MS MVP - Word]

Answer 2

Thank you Paul. If during install we could set the custom workgroup templates location and then shove the files in, your suggestion might work. Even though Workgroup Templates are usually set to network shares, ours would have to be set locally as our template solution permits user-level changes - but Word does seem to permit a local path for Workgroup Templates. If this could be done during installation, AND we could set Word to Trust the location during install, we'd be in great shape, but I'm doubtful.  We need our installation to accomplish these things and not rely on individual users to go into the depths of Word options to change settings, etc.  This is why we were hoping there would be other built-in locations that are both trusted and writeable that our installer would either create, or that already exist and can be referenced using environment variables.

So, appreciating that this forum is not focused on installation issues, I guess the big question is, can Word's settings for Workgroup Template locations and Trusted locations be accessed and modified by any standard installation program? Or must all this be done manually by users or separately by IT through an Enterprise Office Deployment tools?

 

Answer 3

I guess the big question is, can Word's settings for Workgroup Template locations and Trusted locations be accessed and modified by any standard installation program? Or must all this be done manually by users or separately by IT through an Enterprise Office Deployment tools?

 

That's not something I can answer. You might do better asking in the General Office Development area: http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/officegeneral/threads or, even better, the TechNet 'Office 2010 Planning, Deployment, and Compatibility forum': http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/officesetupdeployprevious/threads

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Cheers
Paul Edstein
[MS MVP - Word]

Answer 4

Thanks, I'll try that.

For anyone seeking an answer to this, I just posted this question here

Answer 5

" this means a user could never change any aspect of the template itself "

Generally not letting users change templates is a GOOD idea.

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Word MVP

Answer 6

" this means a user could never change any aspect of the template itself "

Generally not letting users change templates is a GOOD idea.

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Word MVP

Answer 7

" this means a user could never change any aspect of the template itself "

Generally not letting users change templates is a GOOD idea.

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Word MVP