How do I deploy Building Blocks (Quick Parts) for Microsoft Outlook 2007?

Question

I want to deploy some building blocks for Microsoft Outlook 2007. Microsoft has put up a poor solution at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HA102086531033.aspx#4 that asks you to save a template. That solution would require you to distribute that template to all the clients. An optimal solution would allow you to put the template containing the building blocks somewhere on the network and simply use the "Workgroup building blocks path" group policy setting for shared paths in Microsoft Office 2007. Sadly, Outlook doesn’t respect that policy. Also, the described solution mentioned in the article above doesn’t work. Step 4 requests you to save the template as a Word template after first asking you to save it as an Outlook template. It seems that they copy & pasted the steps from the Word article and forgot to check whether it worked (and adjust the steps accordingly).

Anyway, does anyone have any suggestions for how to distribute the Building Blocks without distributing NormalEmail.dotm (which will overwrite the clients’ own Building Blocks each time it is updated)?

Thanks!

Answer 1

I looked into this very briefly until I found the same thing as you've just said. With Word you're able to add shared paths to building block template files via regedit, so whether you're able to throw something together which could automate that process (if it even checks out in Outlook), perhaps that's an option.

However, since you're dealing with clients, that may not be a viable solution at all. I'll be watching this thread with interest :)

Answer 2

I have been looking into this as well.

I have had a problem with the instructions that are given by MS. I cannot change the "Save in" setting when working with the Quick Parts. I have tried on 2007 and 2010 and the only option I get is to "Save In" the NormalEmail.dotm file. Therefore, distributing templates is not working for me.

The only thing that I have found to work is to send out the NormalEmail.dotm file and have it overwrite what the user's original file.

I do believe though that this will only change Quick Part items. I don't believe it changes the signatures or other building blocks b/c they are saved separately.