Word lock addins loaded from a read-only access network folder

[aks]

We are using Word 2000 on a Novell Netware lan. We are experimenting
with a Word VBA addin that is loaded automaticaly by macros in each
user's Normal.dot. The addin is loaded from the network from a folder
that each user has only read access. All of this works perfectly fine
except that Word marks the original addin file on the network, which
is read-only, as in use. The addin can not be edited by its owner
when this happens. Is there a way around this without resorting to
something as drastic as having the addin detection/loader macro copy
the original addin file somewhere before loading the copy?

Thanks,
AKS

[Charles Kenyon]

First, it is inappropriate to use an Add-In to modify normal.dot, not to
mention unnecessary.
See http://addbalance.com/word/movetotemplate.htm for step-by-step
instructions on moving / sharing / copying / backing-up customizations
including AutoText, AutoCorrect, keyboard assignments, toolbars, macros,
etc. This involves using a global template in the Word Startup folder.

In some cases, this can become locked when in use by mulitple users. You can
get around this problem using login scripts which copy the file from a
shared location to an individual location (network or local) for each user.
--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide

See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.

Post by aks
We are using Word 2000 on a Novell Netware lan. We are experimenting
with a Word VBA addin that is loaded automaticaly by macros in each
user's Normal.dot. The addin is loaded from the network from a folder
that each user has only read access. All of this works perfectly fine
except that Word marks the original addin file on the network, which
is read-only, as in use. The addin can not be edited by its owner
when this happens. Is there a way around this without resorting to
something as drastic as having the addin detection/loader macro copy
the original addin file somewhere before loading the copy?
Thanks,
AKS

[aks]

Thanks for the links. Actually this Add-In does not modify the
normal.dot. The normal.dot ensures the global template (which
contains the real process) is properly loaded as you describe in your
Template Basics. It is the global template that resides as read-only
on the network but is marked as in use when loaded as a global
template. Template Basics tells one to copy this thing to a local
drive or have a login script do that upon startup. In my book having
someone relogin to reinitialize a program's operation would be the one
thing to avoid at all costs. I just want to know if the file locking
problem I am seeing is just another folly that I need to sidestep. It
seems that way from what I gather from a quick scan of your links and
your response.

Your help is much appreciated. Thank you.


On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 16:51:29 -0600, "Charles Kenyon"

Post by Charles Kenyon
First, it is inappropriate to use an Add-In to modify normal.dot, not to
mention unnecessary.
See http://addbalance.com/word/movetotemplate.htm for step-by-step
instructions on moving / sharing / copying / backing-up customizations
including AutoText, AutoCorrect, keyboard assignments, toolbars, macros,
etc. This involves using a global template in the Word Startup folder.
In some cases, this can become locked when in use by mulitple users. You can
get around this problem using login scripts which copy the file from a
shared location to an individual location (network or local) for each user.

[Jezebel]

The add-in needs to be locked because it's 'committed' to the user who
opened it. Word doesn't know that the folder containing it is read-only, and
has to accommodate the possibility that the user will, eg, change its
document properties. The better solution is to put a copy into each user's
personal start-up folder. They don't need to re-login to do that, nor to run
a start-up script.

Post by aks
Thanks for the links. Actually this Add-In does not modify the
normal.dot. The normal.dot ensures the global template (which
contains the real process) is properly loaded as you describe in your
Template Basics. It is the global template that resides as read-only
on the network but is marked as in use when loaded as a global
template. Template Basics tells one to copy this thing to a local
drive or have a login script do that upon startup. In my book having
someone relogin to reinitialize a program's operation would be the one
thing to avoid at all costs. I just want to know if the file locking
problem I am seeing is just another folly that I need to sidestep. It
seems that way from what I gather from a quick scan of your links and
your response.
Your help is much appreciated. Thank you.
On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 16:51:29 -0600, "Charles Kenyon"

Post by Charles Kenyon
First, it is inappropriate to use an Add-In to modify normal.dot, not to
mention unnecessary.
See http://addbalance.com/word/movetotemplate.htm for step-by-step
instructions on moving / sharing / copying / backing-up customizations
including AutoText, AutoCorrect, keyboard assignments, toolbars, macros,
etc. This involves using a global template in the Word Startup folder.
In some cases, this can become locked when in use by mulitple users. You can
get around this problem using login scripts which copy the file from a
shared location to an individual location (network or local) for each user.

[aks]

I don't see why Word needs to accommodate the possibility the user
will change a loaded global add-in when Word will not let one even
view the contents of the add-in. What are you refering to when you
say," eg, change its document properties"? I also wonder why Word,
Windows, or Netware (which ever one is doing it?) gets away with
locking a file it has only read access to.

The plan now is to use an AutoExec to refresh a local copy of the
add-in.

AKS

On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 11:24:32 +1100, "Jezebel"

Post by Jezebel
The add-in needs to be locked because it's 'committed' to the user who
opened it. Word doesn't know that the folder containing it is read-only, and
has to accommodate the possibility that the user will, eg, change its
document properties. The better solution is to put a copy into each user's
personal start-up folder. They don't need to re-login to do that, nor to run
a start-up script.

[Charles Kenyon]

You can easily add AutoText or macros to a loaded global even if you can't
view the vba project without opening the file.

An AutoExec is overkill. If you need the global changes immediately it won't
work because it requires reloading Word. If having the update is not urgent,
it can be handled through the login.
--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide

See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.

Post by aks
I don't see why Word needs to accommodate the possibility the user
will change a loaded global add-in when Word will not let one even
view the contents of the add-in. What are you refering to when you
say," eg, change its document properties"? I also wonder why Word,
Windows, or Netware (which ever one is doing it?) gets away with
locking a file it has only read access to.
The plan now is to use an AutoExec to refresh a local copy of the
add-in.
AKS
On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 11:24:32 +1100, "Jezebel"

Post by Jezebel
The add-in needs to be locked because it's 'committed' to the user who
opened it. Word doesn't know that the folder containing it is read-only, and
has to accommodate the possibility that the user will, eg, change its
document properties. The better solution is to put a copy into each user's
personal start-up folder. They don't need to re-login to do that, nor to run
a start-up script.

[aks]

Ok Charles but I'm seeing that I can manually remove a global add-in
and then reload an updated version of the same global to affect a
change without restarting Word. Perhaps I did not really see this
happening. Though I've not tried unloaded by VBA I'm figuring I can
unload a global by VBA since I am already loading the global by VBA.
The AutoExec plan is intended to be a means to copy the VBA to local
prior to loading it. We have already established why that step is
necessary for keeping Word's tentacles off the original global file.
I don't want to use any other (non Word) mechansim to keep the local
file current. The AutoExec seems as the only transparent tactic that
will not effect the overall VBA response time because the AutoExec
process will occur only once.

On Thu, 17 Feb 2005 12:26:36 -0600, "Charles Kenyon"

Post by Charles Kenyon
You can easily add AutoText or macros to a loaded global even if you can't
view the vba project without opening the file.
An AutoExec is overkill. If you need the global changes immediately it won't
work because it requires reloading Word. If having the update is not urgent,
it can be handled through the login.

[Charles Kenyon]

You'll need two globals, then, I suspect.
The first, a loader (A.dot), will unload the second (B.dot) (if it is
loaded), make the copy to update, and then reload it. I can't conceive a
macro in B.dot unloading B.dot, copying a new B.dot, and then reloading
B.dot. Timing will be tricky because your macro may attempt to load B.dot
before the copying has finished. Good luck.
--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide

See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.

Post by aks
Ok Charles but I'm seeing that I can manually remove a global add-in
and then reload an updated version of the same global to affect a
change without restarting Word. Perhaps I did not really see this
happening. Though I've not tried unloaded by VBA I'm figuring I can
unload a global by VBA since I am already loading the global by VBA.
The AutoExec plan is intended to be a means to copy the VBA to local
prior to loading it. We have already established why that step is
necessary for keeping Word's tentacles off the original global file.
I don't want to use any other (non Word) mechansim to keep the local
file current. The AutoExec seems as the only transparent tactic that
will not effect the overall VBA response time because the AutoExec
process will occur only once.
On Thu, 17 Feb 2005 12:26:36 -0600, "Charles Kenyon"

Post by Charles Kenyon
You can easily add AutoText or macros to a loaded global even if you can't
view the vba project without opening the file.
An AutoExec is overkill. If you need the global changes immediately it won't
work because it requires reloading Word. If having the update is not urgent,
it can be handled through the login.

[aks]

The loader and unloader will be in Normal.dot along with the other
self repairing routines. Thanks again.

On Tue, 22 Feb 2005 12:42:06 -0600, "Charles Kenyon"

Post by Charles Kenyon
You'll need two globals, then, I suspect.
The first, a loader (A.dot), will unload the second (B.dot) (if it is
loaded), make the copy to update, and then reload it. I can't conceive a
macro in B.dot unloading B.dot, copying a new B.dot, and then reloading
B.dot. Timing will be tricky because your macro may attempt to load B.dot
before the copying has finished. Good luck.

[Charles Kenyon]

The user logs in occasionally, I would hope. The idea of the login script is
to give the user the latest version of the file. It can simply copy the file
or can check to see if the master file is newer than the local one and
update if it is. The user logs in to start using the computer, not to start
using Word. An alternative is to simply distribute new copies of your Add-In
when changes are made in some other fashion.
--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide

See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.

Post by aks
Thanks for the links. Actually this Add-In does not modify the
normal.dot. The normal.dot ensures the global template (which
contains the real process) is properly loaded as you describe in your
Template Basics. It is the global template that resides as read-only
on the network but is marked as in use when loaded as a global
template. Template Basics tells one to copy this thing to a local
drive or have a login script do that upon startup. In my book having
someone relogin to reinitialize a program's operation would be the one
thing to avoid at all costs. I just want to know if the file locking
problem I am seeing is just another folly that I need to sidestep. It
seems that way from what I gather from a quick scan of your links and
your response.
Your help is much appreciated. Thank you.
On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 16:51:29 -0600, "Charles Kenyon"

Post by Charles Kenyon
First, it is inappropriate to use an Add-In to modify normal.dot, not to
mention unnecessary.
See http://addbalance.com/word/movetotemplate.htm for step-by-step
instructions on moving / sharing / copying / backing-up customizations
including AutoText, AutoCorrect, keyboard assignments, toolbars, macros,
etc. This involves using a global template in the Word Startup folder.
In some cases, this can become locked when in use by mulitple users. You can
get around this problem using login scripts which copy the file from a
shared location to an individual location (network or local) for each user.

[Charles Kenyon]

One further clarification is that the login script can copy to either a
local drive or an individual network folder. My preference is for the local
drive because I think in terms of laptops logging in and I like the laptop
to be able to operate independent of the network.
--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide

See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.

Post by aks
Thanks for the links. Actually this Add-In does not modify the
normal.dot. The normal.dot ensures the global template (which
contains the real process) is properly loaded as you describe in your
Template Basics. It is the global template that resides as read-only
on the network but is marked as in use when loaded as a global
template. Template Basics tells one to copy this thing to a local
drive or have a login script do that upon startup. In my book having
someone relogin to reinitialize a program's operation would be the one
thing to avoid at all costs. I just want to know if the file locking
problem I am seeing is just another folly that I need to sidestep. It
seems that way from what I gather from a quick scan of your links and
your response.
Your help is much appreciated. Thank you.
On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 16:51:29 -0600, "Charles Kenyon"

Post by Charles Kenyon
First, it is inappropriate to use an Add-In to modify normal.dot, not to
mention unnecessary.
See http://addbalance.com/word/movetotemplate.htm for step-by-step
instructions on moving / sharing / copying / backing-up customizations
including AutoText, AutoCorrect, keyboard assignments, toolbars, macros,
etc. This involves using a global template in the Word Startup folder.
In some cases, this can become locked when in use by mulitple users. You can
get around this problem using login scripts which copy the file from a
shared location to an individual location (network or local) for each user.