Initial Creation of Normal.dot file.

[iT_grunt]

When someone opens Word for the very first time and the Normal.dot file is
created, where does Word search for those settings that eventually end up
being the .dot file? How does it proceed to know what margins to set, font
size and type, etc and makes that the default?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

The default Normal.dot template is based on the defaults coded into the Word
application. You can change those defaults, however; see
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/CustomizeNormalTemplate.htm

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[iT_grunt]

That makes sense. Can the template be changed on a larger scale? For
instance: We have a lab with students who log in at different locations.
How can we make it so that the settings we want the Normal.dot file to have
is used by each student at each computer each time they log in? I know that
the file is kept in their user profile folder, but can we make it apply to
all no matter what?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

This is usually accomplished with administrative controls and login scripts
that are beyond my ken. One way of accomplishing it is to set up Normal.dot
the way you want it and then use an application such as DeepFreeze, which
reverts to the settings you have chosen (for everything on the system, not
just Word) every time the system is booted up or another user logs on.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org