Protect Template Only (Word 2003 SP2)

Topic

New Reply

Is there a way to password protect a template and not have the resulting document also be password protected?

All my client cares about is making sure no one damages the original templates. No restrictions on copying, or editing once they are docs.

Only one or two people should be able to access the templates for editing purposes. But everyone should be able to create a new document from one of them. But one needs that password to work on a document, which undermines the reason for having a password on the template.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Kim

Reply | Quote

Replies

Put the template in a network folder in which the default user has only read permission, and the designer has full permission. Let the users’ workgroup templates path point to this folder.

BTW if a template is password protected, a document created from it won’t be protected, but the user will still be prompted for the password for the template.

Reply | Quote

I don’t understand how that works. If I move the document to another computer, which doesn’t have the original template, then the document will not be protected?

If a new document is created and it’s not possible to type into it or edit it in any way (without the password). How is this accessing the template?

By the way, I’m going to recommend the network approach. It was my first thought but they wanted to explore passwords.

Thanks,
Kim

Reply | Quote

When I create a new document based on a password-protected template, I get prompted to provide a password for the template, not for the document. I click the ‘Read-only’ button; this means that the template is opened read-only in the background. The new document itself is not password-protected, I can type in it etc. If I then move the document to another computer that doesn’t contain the template, the document is opened without a password prompt.

Reply | Quote

Maybe we’re not doing it the same way? I just created a password protected template using Tools > Protect Document. I restricted it from being edited and applied a password.

When I create a document from the template, I am not prompted for a password and I cannot edit the document at all. If I press any key, it tells me it’s protected. If I click unprotect, that’s when it prompts me for the password. If I delete the template from which the document was created, the document is still passworded.

Am I doing this differently than you have? Is there another way to password protect a document / template?

Of course, what I want is for someone using the template to be able to create a document from it without being prompted for a password. I don’t want anyone to be able to edit the template. We’re going with the network solution, but I’m still curious about why your experience is so different from mine.

Thanks again,
Kim

Reply | Quote

Is it the difference between a password to open the template, versus a password to change the content (e.g., protected for forms)?

Reply | Quote

I think Jefferson hit the nail on the head. I specified a password for editing the template in the Security tab of Tools | Options…

You probably used Tools | Protect Document. You could use code in the Document_New event (in the ThisDocument module) to unprotect the document.

Reply | Quote

Thank you both, that explains it.

Code to unlock the document is an interesting idea that I’ll fiddle with, but at this point it does seem easier to manage the network rights.

Kim

Reply | Quote

The network method has its own set of problems. I found that if anyone else had an open document attached to the template, I (with full permissions) still could not update the template because it was open. It was not practical to try to make everyone exit Word when I wanted to update the template.

We solved this by having a Drive G: where the template owner (me) had full rights, and a Drive H: where everyone (including me) had read only. Each night, the IT dept copied the templates from G: to H: even if the template on H: was in use by an open document.

This worked particularly well giving us a <24 hour turn around time for template updates.

Judith

Reply | Quote

Hi Judith,

That wouldn’t really suit this situation, but is good to keep in mind.

Fortunately, these are specialty templates that are only accessed by about a dozen people, and not all the time. So far I haven’t had any issues updating them (finger’s crossed).

Thanks,
Kim

Reply | Quote