InfoPath Dev

Hi Everyone,

Kindly help me. My users are receiving error below whenever they open the form from Outlook.

The form template associated with this form cannot be found.  It is not on your computer and the form does not specify a location from which to retrieve it.

To fix this problem, ask the form author to provide the location of the form template of update the form.

I dont know where I made mistake in my design.  I hope someone can help.

Thank you very much.

InfoPath templates are an integral part of each xml document created.

They provide the information on how to display the data and how the user will interact with it.

In each XML document is a link to the template it was created from.

Each time a document is opened it must access the template.

That is why templates are published to network shares or web sites so that everyone who needs access has it.

It sounds like users are opening forms but do not have access to the templates. You need to make sure everyone has the correct access to the original template location.

You can also publish a template to email if that is applicable.

Hi Clay,

Thank you for your reply.

Actually I already published the form both to email and network drive.  I sent the form to our SA for checking (cause I was also thinking that the problem was the access rights), however the problem is the same.  But I sent the form while previewing it, not from the Published Form.  Does this has any bearing?

Sorry for this question, I am just starting using InfoPath.

Thanks again.

Yes the publishing is the key.

That is how the location of the template is set in the resulting forms.

Thank you Clay, I got it!

Background: I design InfoPath 2007 form templates on my computer, copy the template and the InfoPath Project file to a client’s computer, and publish the form to a shared folder on their network.

Problem: my client wants me to troubleshoot a form created with the published template and sends me the xml file.  When I try to open the xml file in InfoPath, I get the error message that “The following form template for the form cannot be found.”

I understand the publishing process and how forms look for templates.  In this case, however, I do have the original template on my computer.  The only difference between my copy of the template and my client’s template is the published location.

Potential Solution: I don’t see where InfoPath gives me the option to browse for a compatible template.  An “Open with this template …” option would be very helpful.

I’m sure I’m not the first person to run into this problem.  I like InfoPath, but I don’t like how picky it is about security and the location of published templates.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Christian Bahnsen

Hi Christian,

I haven't tried these today, but two solutions come to mind:

1. Open the xml file in a text editor and look for the published location path. Change it so it matches the path to the locally stored xsn. Save, then try to reopen it.

2. Preview the xsn,  and under Preview Settings, use your XML as the sample data.

Let us know if these work!

Ernesto,

Thanks for the reply.

I tried your second suggestion about using the Preview Settings and it worked!  Good job!

I asked my client to create and send me a couple test forms using two different template versions.  I'll try your first suggestion when I receive the test xml files.  I've already created a couple test files with the template versions on my development computer, examined the xml, and recorded the internal version numbers InfoPath assigned.  I'll report back on the results of my test after I receive my client's test forms.

Thanks again.

Chris

I have encountered the same symptoms with a few xml files submitted to a SharePoint site.

Some of the files open, whilst others don’t and I get the error message that “The following form template for the form cannot be found”.

On Ernesto’s suggestion, I’ve opened the files in a text editor and noted that the problematic xml files’ published location points to a user’s local location instead of the template on the SharePoint site.

Thanks Ernesto J

Luckily for now there are only a few files to amend, but the number of files submitted is due to increase dramatically in the next week.

So, I am looking for a way to avoid this from happening again and somehow force the infopath form to use the template in the SharePoint site.

Any ideas are welcome.

Thanks