Word 2007 - Style changes reverting back in a template

[mariel9898]

I have a Word 2007 template (.dotx) where I am trying to change a style. I
make the changes, update the style and save the template document, but then
when I go to start a new document the style is the old one. When I reopen the
template, the style has reverted back to the original.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[Stefan Blom]

How are you changing the style? If you open the template as a document and
modify the style directly, that should work.

 

[mariel9898]

I am opening the actual tempalte (.dotx) and making the changes.

This is the way it used to done in Word 2003 - I've been doing it for years
with no problems. It's a huge problem in Word 2007.

By the way I found a workaround (and I generally hate workarounds but
sometimes you have to get stuff done). If I save the template with a
different name it seems to keep the changes.

Whoever at MS thought this was easier to use should have their head examined.

 

[Stefan Blom]

Since you have to Save As, something is apparently preventing you from
saving the original template file correctly. Do you get an error message or
warning of some kind?

 

[mariel9898]

I don't understand exactly what you mean - in order to save as a 2007 of
course "save as" has to be used doesn't it?

Anyway you made me think of something to try but it didn't work. I opened
the original .dot file, did a save as document template which saved it as a
..dotx file. I closed the file, reopened it and made a small change as an
experiment. But when I went to creat a new document based on the template
(Office Button, New, pick the template from the list) the changes were not
there. I went back to the .dotx file in My Computer and opened it using right
click, open (to open the file and not a new document) and the changes were
not there.

I don't know what is going on. I'm running XP in a corporate environment by
the way in case it's relevant.

 

[Stefan Blom]

Assuming that I understood your description correctly, you were saying that
Save As pops up when you try to save an existing file (which normally
wouldn't require a Save As operation)? My question was: Is there a message
before you are presented with the Save As dialog box?

The fact that you're on a corporate network might be relevant. For example,
the cause of trouble could be access rights to folders. If this is the case,
it's a Windows issue.

 

[mariel9898]

No, that's not it.

I have a .dot file. I need to make some slight changes to the document and
save it as a .dotx file. I have tried two ways to do this, either way is the
same problem.

Method 1
I open the .dot file and save it as a .dotx file (save as, document
template). I make changes. I save it again (regular save button). I close the
file. I open a new file based on the template and the changes are not there -
it's reverted back to the original as if no changes were ever made. I open
the .dotx file and the changes are not there.

Method 2
I create a new .dotx document based on the .dot template. I save as a .dotx
file. I make changes. I close the file. I open a new file based on the
template and the changes are not there -see above

I'm not working on the network, everything is local. The same thing is
happening to my colleague.

 

[Stefan Blom]

Are you saying that the issue is with that particular *.dot file only, or
can you reproduce it with any *.dot file?

 

[mariel9898]

All of them. I've done 4 so far with the workaround mentioned above and have
another 4 to go.

 

[mariel9898]

I just tried something else and there is a problem.

I created a new document template by creating a new document and saving it
as a template. I closed the template, reopened it and made changes. When I
went to create a document based on that template the changes were not there.

I did this in order to see if the underlying problem was in the switch
between versions but it looks like it's not.

Does Word 2007 handle templates completely differently than previous versions?

 

[Stefan Blom]

This is really strange. I can't think of an explanation (other than the
previous attempts). :-(

 

[Stefan Blom]

No, what you are describing isn't a general issue with Word. Templates work
the same in Word 2007 as it did in, say, Word 2003.

If you start Word in Safe mode (hold Ctrl as you start the application), do
you still see the issues with templates?

 

[mariel9898]

I started Word in safe mode and it seems to work fine. Another thing I
noticed is that in safe mode when I click Office Button, New it goes to a
different interface than before. I was getting the same interface as the
previous Word versions - a box with tabs which represented the folders under
the Templates folder.

What do you think the problem is?

 

[Stefan Blom]

Since it works in Safe mode, the problem is with the registry, an add-in, or
code added to the Normal template. See
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/ProblemsStartingWord.htm.

 

[mariel9898]

Thanks, but nothing in that article solves my problem. What do you think I
should do?

 

[mariel9898]

Thanks for all your help. I contacted our company help desk and they
determined the problem was an add in from one of our proprietary software
programs. I had not contacted them initially because I usually get "we can't
help you, that's beyond our scope". However, when the tech read through all
these postings and the link you sent she figured it out.

Getting this really fixed is a different story but for now I can disable the
add in. I was also told that the company does not want users to use MS
templates from the web which is why the new function reverts to the old
office template box.

Thank you for your help!

 

[Stefan Blom]

You are welcome.

I'm glad you got it sorted! I'm especially glad since I was almost ready to
give up at one point, a few messages back...