Content Type's custom template loading from wrong place

Question

My first question on stack exchange, and I'm very new to SharePoint, so please be gentle! (But please do let me know if I've not provided enough detail for you to be able to help me).

I would like my end-users to be able to navigate to a document library, click "New", be presented with my InfoPath form to complete, so that when they save it my approval workflow is fired.

But the problem is that when a user clicks "new" to create a new instance of my custom content type, or when the user attempts to open a pre-existing instance of the custom content type, SharePoint appears to be attempting (and failing) to load the InfoPath form from my PC (where the form was designed), rather than from the copy I uploaded to the server. Here's the process I've followed:

I've created a new document library, and then using "Add from existing site content types" I've added a "Form" content type (from the "Document Content Types" group - which I believe is an "out of the box" type - correct me if I'm wrong).

I've removed the other content types that were added by default, leaving just "Form". I click on this type, and update its settings to customise it as required (ie name, description etc).

I'm using Advanced Settings to then specify a custom Info Path form I'd previously created, by using the "Upload a new document template:" option.

(The form is just a basic pro-forma with no clever code or anything like that in it - at least, none that I've added!).

When I create a new instance of this document type within the library, it works fine for me from my PC (where the infopath form was originally designed and uploaded from). I'm also then able to re-open that instance.

But the problem is when I try to create an instance from another PC, InfoPath starts OK but then throws an error. The same happens if I try to re-open that pre-existing instance I created earlier from the other PC. The error suggests that Sharepoint has stored a reference to the location on my PC, rather than the reference to the uploaded copy on the server:

This form cannot be opened because it requires the domain permission level and it currently has restricted permission. To fix this problem, open the form from the location it was published to. Published location: file://D:\users\my_user_name\Desktop\New%Opportunity.xsn Details: Forms that require the domain permission level contain features that access information on a network, such as data connections, linked images, and code.

I've confirmed that a copy of the XSN was uploaded to the document library's Forms folder... it's just not being used, apparently.

I've also tried setting the new content type up at the site level, ie Under Site Settings > Site Content Type Gallery, I've created a Custom Content Type.

Then under Site Content Type > Advanced Settings for this type, I've used then uploaded the XSN to there. (But I have no idea where I need to look to check if this was properly uploaded or not).

And then, I remove from my document library the List type I created earlier, and replace it with the new Site Content Type in its place. But I still get the same behavior.

What am I doing wrong? Your time and help is appreciated!

Answer 1

What am I doing wrong?

You described how you wandered around your sharepoint document library using options for divergent and disparate tasks but have never specified what you were trying to achieve, in which context and why!

Please ask one question per post

I've created a new document library, and then using "Add from existing site content types" I've added a "Form" content type (from the "Document Content Types" group - which I believe is an "out of the box" type?).

In order to create a document based on added content type, navigate to document library in browser > click Documents tab on ribbon (under Library Tools) > New Document > choose added content type, in your case Form

Note that you should have enabled "Allow management of content types" in Document Library Settings

Please check:

• Creating a New Document Template
• Add new document templates to a library (this site)
• Jo-Anne Alfafara Side-by Side versioning with Content Types

and specify question(s) that can be answered instead of guessed.

Update:
I hope it will become more clear after you follow the introductory articles and do it in the right way (having published a form template to sharepoint form library or, at least, to network share).
There are too many variants of doing it wrong and it is insane to try guessing them.

Update2:
Here we go, into discussions, disputes and opinions which are discouraged in this board.

You don't need to create a separate Form Library, it is the matter of taste. But if you want to use Infopath forms then you should use a form library instead of a document library because it is impossible to publish Infopath XSN form template onto document library (and create Infopath XML data forms based on an Infopath XSN template)

I never use "Upload a new document template:" and it does not hinder me in working with templates, forms and documents in any way, so I'd have preferred to avoid touching this aspect altogether.

IMO, in order to be bound to documents/data-forms, a template should be published (not just saved or uploaded). If it is not published explicitly, it may be published implicitly/locally and used so under the hood.

Probably "Upload a new document template:" is just a tactical convenience or point of view how to keep and/or manage templates centralized. Or, might be an error. There are a lot of lapses especially in boundary domains which are the areas of MS Office and Sharepoint integration. I'd prefer to concentrate on:

• how to succeed without dwelling on issues of inconveniences, bugs and failures
• how to avoid loosing time on pitfalls, traps, bugs... - anything that is unclear or related with lost of time

I'd advice you to ask this (and any question) by separate question, one per post.

Update3:
If you are interested in using custom Infopath forms, I would advise you to start without any content types, using a form library and publishing onto it from Infopath Designer.