Word templates not opening as new documents

Doug is mistaken in that I am strongly suggesting that the User Templates folder not be shared, but not  that no templates folder be shared.

I recommend that the Workgroup Templates be shared on a network drive but downloaded locally and used from there. The network login can do updates. This makes updating easier than fully sharing the folder and makes it easier for people to work remotely.

The User Templates folder should not be shared because that is the container for the Normal template, which should not be shared.

By default, all new documents will be saved in docx format.   However if they are opened on a machine on which the template is located, by means of a reference that is automatically made to that template, all of the features of the template will be available for use with that document.

If previously documents were saved as docm format, you must have had that format set under File>Options>Save>Save files in this format.

Hmm... Yes now seeing this method allows documents to open as docx, which is not my intention. They use to open as macro enabled if the templates were macro enabled.  It also ends up taking more clicks than the "save as" method.  Much more as it turns out. I have a couple of folders in my template hierarchy and so I have to navigate every time.

The document icons in my templates folder are still not the correct icons even though that folder is in the templates path.  So still no ability to open template files directly.  Yuck

Yes this approach works!  It is not a quick as using my templates folder shortcut, but much better than my current "save as" method, that I also regularly damage dotms with.

Much appreciation!

Thank you for helping.  Our templates are stored in a Practice Docs folder on all machines.  It is configured for network sync.  Is it necessary to store templates in the path you specified?