Automatic file location in Word 2010

amcdddw,

You are on the right track, using a template, inserting the FileName field in the footer (Insert - Quick Parts - Field - File Name, and checking the box to add the document path. Only inconvenience is that once you move the file location you will have to update manually by selecting the footer and using F9 or going to Print preview and back.

Otherwise you will need a macro to do it automatically:

http://www.gmayor.com/installing_macro.htm

I would strongly advise against replacing users' Normal templates even if you can locate them. The Normal template is intended to contain each user's personal customizations, and if users have added any customizations, they won't thank you for overwriting them. If you can figure out how to add the { FILENAME \p } field to each user's Normal template without overwriting it, then that might be an option, but I would still advise against it, for several reasons:

1. If by "bottom of the document" you mean the end of the document, then it would have to be at the beginning of a blank document, which would make it very easy to accidentally overwrite, and in any case it would be in the way all the time.
2. If by "bottom of the document" you mean in a footer, then this is even worse, because any header or footer added to the Normal template causes problems with labels.
3. As Luc says, it would have to be updated, anyway.

That said, I would strongly advise you to give users a button on the QAT and/or a keyboard shortcut to insert the { FILENAME \p } field saved as an AutoText entry. In earlier versions of Word, "Filename and path" was a built-in AutoText entry, but it is certainly easy enough to create a new one. Using AutoComplete, you don't even need a button or shortcut.

Alternatively (or additionally), create a document template that does have the field in the footer and instruct them on how to use this when they want this feature. I would view this as an educational opportunity. My experience is that most users, even if they whine, get a sense of achievement from learning to do simple tasks such as creating an AutoText entry. You could send them a document with the FILENAME field included, with instructions on how to create an AutoText entry from it and save it in their Normal.dotm:

1. Select the field.
2. Press Alt+F3 to open the Create New Building Block dialog.
3. The default name for the AutoText entry will be "* Filename." Change this to something you can remember--at least four letters that are not a common word.
4. All of the other settings can be left at the default. Click OK to close.
5. When you type the first four letters of the name you assigned to the AutoText entry, you'll get an AutoComplete tip. Press Enter to accept it.

If users prefer a keyboard shortcut, this can be assigned through the Customize the Ribbon and keyboard shortcuts dialog (Keyboard shortcuts | Customize...). The category to select is Building Blocks. A toolbar button could be created but would require a macro, which is really overkill for this simple task.

Thank you for the detailed response Suzanne & Luc, most appreciated.

I may have misled with my original question as I was a little unsure as to what they where trying to achieve!

Now that I have spoken to them again this is what they want to do:

When they click the "save as" button and save the document the file location is added to a footer at the bottom of the page.

I have seen examples of people using the VBA element of Word to automate tasks but cannot seem to find anything that relates to the above....

Your task is simple, I've been doing it for about 20 years now ...  I also include "page x of y" and "date (& time) last printed: " information in my footer.  Page x of y is obvious for organizing printed pages when you drop them, and really helps when you print out multiple copies and need to figure out which is the most current one.

What are being asked for is over complicated.  There is no need for a "magical" button or macro to do the insertion for you at save time. Luc and Suzanne have already given you the answer to your question.  As they have both described all you need is the "filename" field, with the optional "full path" parameter turned on placed in the footer of your normal.dotm template. 

I agree with Suzanne's approach, I would stay away from from the forced "push"/downloading of a standard normal.dot(m).  Rather, give them a link to a standard they can download on their own if needed or give people a "learning experience" set of instructions on how to modify their own template. 

I used to work for a company that downloaded the "corporate standard" normal.dotm every morning when you logged in to the network.  It was a very large PITA because it would nuke my personal customizations (shortcuts, styles etc) I had ADDED to the corporate standard.  (I worked around it by using a batch file that would save my current normal.dot at the end of the day, and another batch file overwrite the newly downloaded template with my current version of it. Take THAT pushy boss! <grin> )

http://wordribbon.tips.net/T006072_Finding_Where_Templates_Are_Stored.html - Ribbon

http://word.tips.net/T000862_Finding_Where_Templates_Are_Stored.html- Menu

http://word.tips.net/T001668_Opening_a_Template.html

http://addbalance.com/word/normaltemplate.htm 

Thank you to everyone for the great responses above. Now that I have some feedback I feel more comfortable in telling the admin team that I can help, but not in the initial way they expected.

Thanks again...