changing .dot back to .doc

[Guest]

Somehow I changed the normal template (I guess) so that all my Word documents
are being saved as .dot instead of .doc. I'd like to change this back. How
do I do this and what effect will it have on my documents saved as .dot, if
any?

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

You don't say which version of Word you're using. Assuming Word 2003 (or
something similar), choose Tools - Options - Save, and set Save Word files
as: to Word Document (*.doc). I suspect it's currently set to Document
Template (*.dot).

If you're using Word 2007, click Office button - Word Options - Save tab,
and set "Save files in this format:" to the desired non-.dot format.

 

[Guest]

Herb, thanks very much. Got it changed back for the future. Just a question
(I'm obviously a bit technically-challenged here!)...if I use a template
(either a Word one or one I've generated myself) for a document, will it
automatically save that document as a .dot, or only if I change that setting
you just told me how to change? Is there any problem with having documents
as *.dot* ones when I'm sharing with other people? I'm just used to the
*.doc* format. Thanks again for your help! mossrose

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

In Word 2003 (which I assuming you're using), you can create a new document
using a .doc, .dot, or .wiz file (the latter being just a convention for a
..dot that contains automation via automacros to facilitate document
creation). In any of these, the resulting document will be a .doc file
unless you've changed the default Save as option.

As a general rule, it's much better to use .doc than .dot for document
names. Among other reasons, it will be less confusing for those with whom
you are sharing documents. Also... if you double-click a .doc file in
Windows Explorer, it will open that file for editing. If you double-click a
..dot file, Word instead uses the .dot file to create a new document based on
the .dot file. Unless that's really what you want to do, using .doc as the
extension will serve you better.

Cheers,

--
Herb Tyson MS MVP
Author of the Word 2007 Bible
Blog: http://word2007bible.herbtyson.com
Web: http://www.herbtyson.com

 

[Graham Mayor]

If you create a document (DOC) from a template (DOT), then if you have set
up the save option as Herb indicated, the resulting file will be a document
not a template. You don't *open* templates to create documents you create
*new* documents from templates. It is impossible to save a template as a
document. It will always be a template.

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

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[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

It is impossible to save a template as a

document. It will always be a template.

This used to be true, and I thought it made sense, but apparently so many
people got in trouble that in Word 2003 I believe you *can* save a template
as a document. <sigh>

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Graham Mayor]

So you can! When did they sneak that change in?

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[Guest]

Thanks to each of you. If I'm understanding what Herb and Graham are saying,
then it's impossible to change the documents with the .dot extension to .doc
ones unless I copy and paste the material into a new document and save it as
a .doc?
And..if I use a template to create a new document, then it will
automatically save that as a .dot?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I *think* it was new in Word 2003, but possibly 2002. One of the big changes
came in Word 97, when it became possible to store macros in documents (and
perhaps before that it also wasn't possible to store toolbars and keyboard
shortcuts in docs, either?). When it got to the point that you could store
just about anything in a document that you can store in a template (AutoText
is a notable exception), then I guess the distinction began to gray.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

No. Once opened, any file can be saved as .doc or .dot. Just choose File -
Save as, and set the type as desired.

If you open a .dot file from Word (using File - Open), then you're opening
that .dot file for editing, and unless you explicitly choose File - Save As
and save it as a .doc file or something else, then you'll be saving changes
to the .dot file you're editing.

If, however, you choose File - New and choose a .dot file upon which to base
a new document, then the file will be saved as specified in the default save
format (in Tools - Options - Save). You can, of course, explicitly use
File - Save As to save in a format different from the default.

If you open a .dot file by double-clicking it (using Windows Explorer), then
a new Document # window will be opened based on the .dot file. This is
equivalent to choosing File - New and specifying that .dot file as the basis
for creating a new document. Again, the default save format is governed by
the Tools - Options - Save setting. But, as before, you can use File - Save
as to override the default.

..dot files are designed for creating new documents. You can edit .dot files,
but it's harder to do, simply because double-clicking using Windows Explorer
defaults to creating a new document, rather than to editing the .dot file
itself.

It's all-round less confusing if you save document files as .doc, and save
templates as .dot. That way, other users' expectations will be not be upset.

I hope this clarifies...

--
Herb Tyson MS MVP
Author of the Word 2007 Bible
Blog: http://word2007bible.herbtyson.com
Web: http://www.herbtyson.com

 

[Beth Melton]

I can confirm the change occurred in Word 2002. I actually thought it was
earlier. I thought it was changed in Word 97, after the issue with trying to
convert .dot files back to .doc files after the Concept virus appeared, but
apparently not.

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email cannot be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Coauthor of Word 2007 Inside Out:
http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/9801.aspx#AboutTheBook

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/

 

[Graham Mayor]

Doesn't time fly! I was so used to this not happening in Word 97 and 2000,
that I never bothered to check whether it had changed later, and it seemed
like only yesterday that it didn't do this

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

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[Beth Melton]

Sneaky little critters aren't they? ;-)

Doesn't time fly! I was so used to this not happening in Word 97 and
2000, that I never bothered to check whether it had changed later, and it
seemed like only yesterday that it didn't do this

 

[Bod]

I can simply rename a .doc as a .dot from Win Explorer, but could it cause
problems? Should I open .doc in Word and save as .dot?

 

[Graham Mayor]

Open and save it!

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[Bod]

Thanks, but why? What's the difference?

Open and save it!

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[Graham Mayor]

The internal structures of documents and templates are different. Renaming
does not change that structure.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[Larry F]

The internal structures of documents and templates are different. Renaming
does not change that structure.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[Larry F]

I have used templates (dot) files quite often in Word 2003 (have not migrated
to 2007 yet) but have found a couple of interesting things that might prove
useful.

1. If you save a "dot" file anywhere other than Word's template directory
it generally does not behave any differently than a document saved with the
"doc" extension. You can open it, edit it, overwrite it, rename it, etc.
2. You can create a template using any file containing doc extension simply
by changing the extension to dot and saving it. If you do not specify a path
it will be saved to the template directory.
3. A document with a dot extension will not behave like a template unless
they are saved in Word's template directory (i.e. it is not protected from
overwrite when it is saved anywhere else).
4. When you start a new document using a template from the templates
directory it will automatically be converted to a doc extension when you save
it (i.e. preventing overwrite).
5. You cannot revise a template simply by saving your revised template by
the same name. Word will not allow you to overwrite a template already in
the templates directory.
6. Any template file saved to a directory other than the template
directory when moved to the template directory (i.e. using Windows Explorer)
will behave like any other template in the diretory and will appear on the
templates list when you start a new document.
7. Editing an existing template file is easier if you move it from the
template diretory (i.e using Windows Explorer), change it's extension to doc,
edit it and then simply resave it with the dot extension (this also allows
you to save the template by the same name since it no longer exists in the
template directory)

Hope the above helps

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I'm curious about #5. I can certainly open templates (in the Templates
folder) for editing and then resave them. Presumably you are trying to start
from scratch and use Save As?

There are fundamental differences between templates and documents. You may
be satisfied with the results you get just by changing the file extension or
document type, but a template created as a document and then saved as a
template may not work the same as a template created from scratch since
there are some things that can be saved in templates that can't be saved in
documents (notably AutoText).