A template file is created in order to have specific user settings that should be applied to subsequent files created from this template.The problem comes from the fact that documents contain not just the things you see: the text and images on the page. Files with DOTX extension are template files created by Microsoft Word to have pre-formatted settings for a generation of further DOCX files. The trouble is, these templates helpfully shared often aren’t templates and they lead to unforeseen problems down the line.Select Default to use as the style template the default Microsoft Word template (.dotx) or Microsoft Word document (.docx) file specified in the Preferences.DOTX Word Open XML Document Template. They could have come from HR, from Marketing, or from someone in your team trying to help everyone standardise.
Pptx for presentations and. Office files use different icons and file extensions so that you can differentiate them.For PowerPoint the same is true but the file formats are. A template, by contrast, has a binder across the top and looks like a notepad with multiple sheets attached to it. The icon for a regular document is the blue W symbol with a white background and grey lines to represent a file.
Accidental overtypingWhat happens when you open a document? It opens, right? So what happens if you are sent a template to use and you open it and start editing?When you use documents as templates, the default action is to open the file so that you can start working on it straight away. Some minor but others being major so let’s explore those problems and see how they can have a real impact. The problem with using documents as templatesUsing documents as templates has a few issues.
Use Dotx File Update Or Modify
Incorrect author propertyThe author property is embedded into a file when it is first saved. As a template author, if you need to update or modify the template, you use the right-click action Open to physically open the template file for modification.At Arcible, we think this is the most obvious and typical problem seen by organisations using documents as templates. This leaves the template intact as it was intended and lets the user get straight to work on their version of it. When we click a template to open it, it creates a new, unsaved file, based on the template. Before you know it the template has been auto-saved and includes data entered by another user and is no longer a pristine template ready for use.A template by comparison has the default action of open a new copy.
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Fast forward to today and unless they removed the history using the Document Inspector, your template still has all that old history in it. They might have used Track Changes or made comments on the file during its inception. Pdf files with their customers because it prevents accidental disclosure of metadata within the original Office document.With this in mind, imagine that a template was created by your Marketing team and they poured over it for days and weeks perhaps collaborating with an external agency or multiple authors. This is one reason why it is common for some organisations to only ever distribute. Word has a specific feature called the Document Inspector that allows you to clean the file up and remove the old data. Potential for accidental information disclosureHave you ever used features like Comments or Track Changes in Microsoft Word? When used, they leave metadata and information inside the document.
Posted in Microsoft 365 and tagged Microsoft 365 Apps, Organisational Assets, Template Management. Think of this as a public service announcement.Use documents and templates as they were both intended and life will be rosy.
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