How to create a new Normal.dot?

[Guest]

My Normal.dot template disappeared. I've been reading Suzanne Barnhill's
articles ("How to Change Default Settings" and "Why is My Blank Document Not
Blank?") about how to create a new one. She said it can be created from
scratch but suggested renaming the old one instead. I don't have an old one
to rename. How do I create it from scratch? If this is explained in either
article, please advise. Maybe I missed it. Thanks for your help.

 

[Steve Yandl]

It is created automatically when Word starts without finding an existing
copy. This would be true whether the previous copy had been deleted or
renamed.

Steve

 

[Charles Kenyon]

You have an old one. You just can't find it.

In recent versions it is a hidden system file. In your Windows folder view
options you have to turn on viewing hidden and system files. While you are
there, you probably should turn off hiding extensions of known file types.
Then use Windows to search for normal.dot. It should be in the folder you
have designated for user templates.
--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide


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[John McGhie [MVP - Word and Word Macintosh]]

Later versions of Word will not save Normal.dot as a file unless you change
some of the settings in it.

Look under Tools>Options>File Locations for the path to User Templates
(click "Modify" to see this path). Check the folder revealed there: if the
file Normal.dot does not appear in that folder, Word has not yet saved the
file.

Note: The file is invisible unless you have "Hide protected files" and
"Hide extensions" and "Hide operating system files" turned OFF in File
Explorer. Check the Windows help for more detail.

Cheers

My Normal.dot template disappeared. I've been reading Suzanne Barnhill's
articles ("How to Change Default Settings" and "Why is My Blank Document Not
Blank?") about how to create a new one. She said it can be created from
scratch but suggested renaming the old one instead. I don't have an old one
to rename. How do I create it from scratch? If this is explained in either
article, please advise. Maybe I missed it. Thanks for your help.

--

Please reply to the newsgroup to maintain the thread. Please do not email
me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie <[email protected]>
Microsoft MVP, Word and Word for Macintosh. Consultant Technical Writer
Sydney, Australia +61 (0) 4 1209 1410