How to configure the workgroup templates location during Office 2003 installation

View products that this article applies to.

SUMMARY

This article describes how to perform a custom installation of Microsoft Office so that custom templates are available from a shared network location when you first start Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, or Microsoft PowerPoint.

There are three methods: you can use transforms to modify the location, you can use Group Policy, or you can have each user manually change the location for the templates. After you use one of these methods, you create a custom transform so that the default templates are not installed.

Back to the top

INTRODUCTION

The Templates dialog box in a Microsoft Office program displays several different tabs that contain the default templates that are installed with Office. If you do not want to display the default templates, you can customize the Templates dialog box to display only the custom tabs and custom templates that you want.

To view the Templates dialog box in one of the Office programs, click On my computer in the Templates area of the New Documents task pane.

Back to the top

MORE INFORMATION

To customize an Office installation, create an administrative installation point or installation image. For more information about creating an administrative installation point of Office 2003, visit the following Microsoft Office 2003 Resource Kit Web site:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/ork2003/HA011402161033.aspx (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/ork2003/HA011402161033.aspx)

Next, use one of the following three methods, and then go to the "Create a custom transform that does not install the default templates" section.

Back to the top

Method 1: Use a transform to configure template settings

The Custom Installation Wizard for Office 2003 has a feature that you can use to configure the default settings for the Office programs. We recommended approach for deploying user settings to computers when Office is installed.

Start the Custom Installation Wizard.
On the Change Office User Settings page, expand Microsoft Office 2003 (user).
Expand Shared Paths.
In the Settings column, double-click Workgroup templates path.
Click Apply Changes, and then specify the folder that will contain your workgroup templates. Click OK.
Complete the remaining steps in the Custom Installation Wizard.
Go to the "Create a custom transform that does not install the default templates" section.

Back to the top

Method 2: Use Group Policy

Using Group Policy is another way to configure the workgroup templates location for all users. Use this approach if you are using group policies in your network or you do not want to install Office with a transform.

Add the Office policy templates into the Group Policy Editor.
Double-click Default User.
Expand Microsoft Office 2003, and then expand Shared paths.
Click to select the Workgroup templates path check box to enable the policy, and then specify the path for your workgroup templates.

Note When this policy is applied, the specified path is set as the data value for the SharedTemplates string value under the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Common\General
Save and apply your policy to the appropriate network users.
Go to the "Create a custom transform that does not install the default templates" section.

For more information about using Group Policy settings, visit the following Web page on the Microsoft Office 2003 Resource Kit Web site:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/ork2003/HA011402011033.aspx (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/ork2003/HA011402011033.aspx)

Back to the top

Method 3: Have each user manually configure the workgroup templates location

Each user can manually specify the workgroup templates location the first time that they start Word. To use this method, have each user follow steps a through d after Office is installed.

Go to the "Create a custom transform that does not install the default templates" section. Follow the steps there, and then go to step 2 of this section, "Method 3: Have each user manually configure the workgroup templates location."
Have users follow these steps on their computers:
1. In Word, click Options on the Tools menu.
2. Click the File Locations tab.
3. Click Workgroup Templates, and then click Modify.
4. In the Modify Location dialog box, specify the folder name, and then click OK. Click OK in the Options dialog box.

Back to the top

Create a custom transform that does not install default templates

In this section, you create a transform by using the Custom Installation Wizard by setting the installation state for all Office templates to Not Available. When you install Office with this transform, the default Office program templates are not installed.

Start the Custom Installation Wizard.
On the Set Feature Installation States page, expand Microsoft Excel for Windows.
Click Spreadsheet Templates, and then click Not Available.
Expand Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows.
Click Design Templates, and then click Not Available.
Click Not Available from the list of installation states for the Content Templates, and then click Not Available.
Expand Microsoft Word for Windows.
Click Wizards and Templates, and then click Not Available.
Click Next, and then set the options that you want on the remaining pages of the wizard.
Click Finish. Make a note of the sample command line that is provided, and then click Exit.
Use the sample command line from step 10 to install Office with the transform.