Internet Explorer 5/6 won’t launch Word

I have a small Intranet site, and I am providing links to Word Docs (actually templates). I would like the link to launch a local copy of Word, so that the user can then utilize the template as they normally would had they opened it from within Word. The link, or the directory being browsed, when clicked on, on many workstations (but not all!) actually opens the .dot file within a new browser window, (as the .dot file). Does anyone know how to direct IE 5.x/6 to launch MS Word when a .dot file is clicked on??
Thank you….
Ron