Distributing Microsoft Office Template or Macro over the network

Question

We have around 400 users who use Word 2010 and we want to make their life easier by distributing templates and macros over the network. The easiest way to do this of course to setup a shared network folder and let them get the appropriate templates and macros. Of course, each user has to know where to copy these files to in their local PC, and we have to rely on constant email communication to let them know for newer version of the macro and templates.

The next alternative is to ask them to configure Word to point to these network folder. But of course any disruption to the network means disruption to their work. We are thinking to setup a synchronization mechanism that downloads new templates to their local machine. We are also thinking to make this sync tool to prompt users that it will download new templates - you know just to give them visibility that they are receiving changes.

We are wondering what is the best approach that people usually use in their workplaces ? Are there any specific tool that can make this task easier ? We are running a few server running Linux/Unix

Answer 1

I am adding this as a separate answer since you said you are using Linux:

In that case, you will probably have to use batch files in your login scripts, and copy them that way. You would probably need conditions to determine the OS, so you can copy them to the right location. Here is a page that describes how to do the conditional aspects:

http://malektips.com/xp_dos_0025.html

The file location for XP is almost always (use the exact format I give, you can test in a command box that it opens the right place):

%UserProfile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates

For Vista/Windows 7:

%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates

Answer 2

What version of Office are they running?

Download and extract the appropriate group policy administrative template, for example:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=64b837b6-0aa0-4c07-bc34-bec3990a7956&displaylang=en

http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=3795

Then go to your server, and open your Group Policy manager. Pick the GP policy you want to add the template to, and click edit. This will open the GP policy editor, and you can import the policy you want to configure. If you are doing this for Office 2010, you would need to import office14.adm (this is the general settings template).

You could then put the templates on a shared drive, and set User configuration>Microsoft 2010>Shared paths>User templates path to point to the shared drive.

Macros are ultimately stored in a document, so you really can't push them as far as I know.