Temps and Locks in Word

[DanielKBates]

Hi all
We have a network drive that holds our personnel word documents. If I allow personnel staff full access to change stuff, delete etc then its fine. They open the file, amend it and then close it, no problem!

If I start setting privileges that allow them to modify but not delete I start getting temps and lock files popping up when the document is closed (normally around 3 every time the document is opened). These lock files and temps then stay in the personnel folder.

Basically, what I want to do is for the users to work on the documents, modify them, not be able to delete them yet not get loads of temp files staying in the personnel folder. I know I have set the privileges up correctly.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Dreamboat]

Why not just create templates instead? Open all the files, save them as templates. On their desktops, change the workgroup templates location to this folder. When they want to use one of your files, have them hit File-New. They should get your folder as a tab in templates. When they double-click it, it's a Document1 (or some other number), so even if they save, it won't save there!

Hope this helps, lemme know if you have any questions on it.

http://www.PiersonTech.com

techsupportgirl@home.com
Brainbench MVP for Microsoft Word

 

[DanielKBates]

Thanks for your response.

This would probably work but I should be able to set the rights on the folder so they can modify the contents but not delete them and not get the temp files all over the place.

The problem with doing it the template way is that some of the docs do need editing at some point. Maybe i'm not fully understanding.

I'm stll confused about it creating temps and lock files. i dont think it should be happening.

One further problem is that the temps and locks occur just by opening the document and closing it.

I also have an access database which is doing the same thing.

Regards
Dan

 

[Dreamboat]

Shared Access databases ALWAYS create an LDB file with the same name as the MDB file. This is a file that temporarily keeps storage of who was in the DB (I think!).

As far as the locks for Word docs, I don't know. Have never heard of the locks. Temps are ALWAYS created when a document is open, but generally on the user's hard drive. I don't work off a network drive often enough to know--but I think if the original is there, the temp is there. But it/they should go away when docs are closed.

If they're not, then I strongly suggest the template approach.

Here's some guidelines about templates (and templates on networks) as Dreamboat sees it:

LOL

1. Everyone has normal.dot, which should always reside on their hard drive and never on a network drive with read-only property else your really good Word users will hate you.

2. Templates are documents that are saved as templates (dot instead of doc). When you double-click a template file, or File-New and access it through there, a new document based upon the template is created. The user now only has a link to the network (which others may have links to at the same time, and there are no ramifications because other users are using it) through the new document, which is named Document1 or Document2, depending on how many documents they opened this session. It is not the template file itself that is open. It is much like an Excel spreadsheet that has linked references to another worksheet. Also, if the network goes down, they will NOT lose the file and it has not yet been saved.

3. To CHANGE/EDIT a template just one time, the user will be able to do that with the document on their screen without any effect to the template whatsoever.

4. To CHANGE/EDIT a template permanently, one must hit File-Open, change the file types to template, and open the template on the network. Preferably, your "template administrator" LOL or the person who created the original template will do this.

5. Don't confuse templates with Forms. Forms are documents that are protected and can only be changed in specific areas. However, forms can be saved as templates.

6. Dreamboat's laymens' definition of a template is a file you will use over and over again, but you don't want anyone to easily make changes to the original. Changes are usually made by someone who thinks they know what they're doing and they don't. Next person comes along to work on it and all this stuff is missing or moved or whatever! Template can also = boilerplate. Things to use templates for: Proposals: where the bulk of it stays the same, but you need to allow the user to enter specific information. Manuals: where you always want the same logo, headers/footers, page numbering, fonts, etc., etc., but you've got a number of these manuals to create. Forms: hit file-new in word to see a sample of the many form templates like Fax covers, letters, memos. People can make their own thing, and use it over and over again by completing the unique information.

Perhaps you knew some/all of this. But it sounds to me like you don't understand the purpose of templates. They're terrific and ever-so-helpful for Word users. You can customize them so much so that they have their own menus, autotext, dropdowns, etc.

Hope it wasn't too boring!

http://www.PiersonTech.com

dreamboat@nni.com
Brainbench MVP for Microsoft Word

 

[DanielKBates]

Thats a fair bit to take in. Thanks for your reply. You're right, i dont really understand the value of templates. I'll read it and try to understand .

Regards
Dan