Prompt for saving changes to DOT file

  • Thread starter Thread starter Reena Ehrenthal
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R

Reena Ehrenthal

Does anyone know how to turn off the prompt to save
changes to DOT file when creating a document based on a
custom template? I use Word XP (2002) but I seem to recall
this was a problem with previous versions too.

Here is what happened:
I created a new DOT file to use as a template (for
example, to use for my next report).

I started a new DOC file based on the DOT file.

I saved my new DOC file with it's own name and Word asked
me if I also want to save changes to the document template.

I would like to turn this prompt off; I don't want anyone
to accidentally save changes to the template.

But that is not all, it gets worse!

Then I typed some text in my new DOC file and periodically
saved my work.

Each time I periodically saved my work, Word asked me
again if I also wanted to save changes to the document
template.

Why does it keep asking me this? I would like to turn this
off too (is it related to the first thing so that turning
one off turns off the other?). Even if I say "no" (i.e. do
not save the changes to the template), the next time I
open the DOC file Word asks me again on the first save.
This is really annoying.

I have searched the knowledgebase and couldn't find
anything. If anyone has a solution for this, please send
me an email.

Thanks
Reena
 
You need to work out why the template is getting changed. It doesn't happen
in the normal course of events unless you are modifying styles and you check
the 'Add to template' checkbox; so the message is doing what it's supposed
to, ie warning you that something else is going on.

Do you have any macros in the template, or any other macro or add-in code
running that might be modifying your template?
 
You don't want to turn the prompt off. You want to turn off the behaviors
that are causing Word to give the prompt.

Are you sure that the question is about the document template and not the
global template normal.dot? Prompts about changes to normal.dot are more
common and usually caused by poorly-written Add-In.
--

Charles Kenyon

See the MVP FAQ: <URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/> which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.
 
Reena said:
Does anyone know how to turn off the prompt to save
changes to DOT file when creating a document based on a
custom template? I use Word XP (2002) but I seem to recall
this was a problem with previous versions too.

Here is what happened:
I created a new DOT file to use as a template (for
example, to use for my next report).

I started a new DOC file based on the DOT file.

I saved my new DOC file with it's own name and Word asked
me if I also want to save changes to the document template.

I would like to turn this prompt off; I don't want anyone
to accidentally save changes to the template.

But that is not all, it gets worse!

Then I typed some text in my new DOC file and periodically
saved my work.

Each time I periodically saved my work, Word asked me
again if I also wanted to save changes to the document
template.

Why does it keep asking me this? I would like to turn this
off too (is it related to the first thing so that turning
one off turns off the other?). Even if I say "no" (i.e. do
not save the changes to the template), the next time I
open the DOC file Word asks me again on the first save.
This is really annoying.

I have searched the knowledgebase and couldn't find
anything. If anyone has a solution for this, please send
me an email.

Thanks
Reena
Click to expand...

In addition to the other suggestions posted, you can prevent the *document*
template from being changed by removing write privileges from it. Do NOT do
this with normal.dot.

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

Web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site www.mvps.org/word
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>>< ><<>
 
I have checked all my styles. I don't write my own macros
but I did use Word's auto update feature on dates and
stuff so I removed all of those and it still prompted me.
Do you know how I can search for hidden macros or add-in
code that might be part of Word?

Also, this happens on more than one custom template I've
created, even if there are no custom styles but only the
default ones.

Any other ideas?
 
I know for certain Word is not asking me about changes to
my normal.dot. What are the behaviors that are causing it
to give me the prompt? (The only ones I am aware of are
trying to save my work.)
 
I guess I just can't create a real DOT file. No matter
what I do at my office computer, I am always prompted to
save the DOT file. At home this does not happen. Is it
possible that this is happening because I am on a LAN at
work?

Can I send you the file and you can help me? If I can just
figure this out, I will be able to create real templates
for my team.

Help!

Reena
 
Did you go to the page I sent you and uninstall all Add-Ins? (Not delete,
uninstall or move out of Word Startup folder.)

Again, what you are describing is _not_ the usual behavior. Either it is
being caused by an Add-In, a virus, or something wrong with your template.

Is this with all templates or just one or more particular templates? Does it
happen if you create a blank document?

Do you have the same templates at home?

--

Charles Kenyon

See the MVP FAQ: <URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/> which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.
 
I too have this problem. I've been searching the internet all day and
can find hundreds of people with the same problem. However, the advic
is all somewhat generic (certainly no offence to those who hav
contributed here however).

I consider myself to be a power user. I have a new installation o
Office 2003 Professional. The problem occurred before and after
installed the online updates.

Problem: EVERY SINGLE TIME I exit word, I get the infamous prompt t
save Normal.dot

However:

- I have renamed and had word create a new normal.dot. So it's not th
file itself.

- I have turned off my virus scan (which in any case doesn't have a
office module - symantec corporate V8)

- I have checked for add-ins and COM plugins... None at all

- I have run a full virus scan

- I have run ad-aware

- Even though the normal.dot is freshly created, I've checked ther
are no macros in it. Which means I've also checked there really are n
other projects loaded (which there aren't).

- I've looked through outlook and checked for any options that migh
be linked. I don't use (and don't have selected) Wordmail.

- I've rebooted etc. etc.

- This occurs EVERY SINGLE TIME... I just open word and close it
second later...

THere must be something funny going on... only problem is Microsof
want to charge me lots of money to help me solve it!

Any ideas? Becuase if so, there are a lot of users looking for you
help... you'll be a hero (or heroine)!

Nic
 
The generic answer is provided because the problem is almost invariably
caused by the same problem - interference from Anti Virus, or other add-ins.
With reference to the CE Edition of Norton - did you locate the following
amongst the 'generic answers'?

In that case, here's the CE fix from Office MVP Beth Melton:

If Norton AV was installed at one time then the DLL for the Office
Plug-in could still be registered.

Search for : officeav.dll

If you find it then go to Start/Run and run the following command:

regsvr32 /u "<path>\officeav.dll"

Here is a KB article that provides a few additional details. It does
not include information on Norton CE but it will contain additional
details on the unregister command if you need them:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=329820

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

Web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site www.mvps.org/word
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>>< ><<>
 
If you have _never_ saved normal.dot, you will get this question every time
because every time Word generates a new normal.dot file which is sees as
having changes that haven't been saved.
--

Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory:
<URL: http://addbalance.com/word/index.htm>

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

See also the MVP FAQ: <URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/> which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.
 
So here is my confession, I went to the page but I'm no
techie and it seemed too complicated for me to do. Also, I
do not have rights to my computer at the office so that
option probably wouldn't work. I suppose if I could figure
it out I could test that but I really didn't understand
the instructions. Unfortunately I doubt our tech support
can help me with this especially since I don't know what
to ask.

Yes it happens with a blank document saved as a DOT file.
I've deleted my Normal.dot and started from scratch
several times to make sure it wasn't that too. I do not
have this problem at home with new templates but I haven't
tried sending myself this template to my home address to
see if I'm still prompted there. I'll try that tonight. I
suspect it is not the template, but is some add-in.

On a side note, just to make sure this is clear, my
problem does not involve prompts to save changes to the
Normal.dot. I do not get those prompts. I say this b/c the
other person in this newsgroup branch is having a problem
with the Normal.dot and I don't want that to be confused
with what is happening with mine.

Thanks again.

Reena
 
Does it happen with a blank document saved as a .doc file?

In your original post you said:
Each time I periodically saved my work, Word asked me
again if I also wanted to save changes to the document
template.
Click to expand...

Does this happen with a document file based on the normal template (a blank
document)?

BTW, I don't have a clue what is happening and I derailed whatever train of
thought I had in the almost a month since your original post. I'm just
fishing for ideas on what could be going on.
--

Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory:
<URL: http://addbalance.com/word/index.htm>

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

See also the MVP FAQ: <URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/> which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.
 
No it doesn't happen with a blank doc file. Nor does it
happen with a doc file based on my normal.dot.

So here is the kicker, I sent the template to myself at
my home address. I opened a new doc file based on the
very same template using my home computer and it did NOT
prompt me. So there is definitely something going on with
my computer at work.

As for train of thought, I can relate. While newsgroups
are very good, I don't think about checking them like I
do my email. I did try to email you directly the first
time using the instructions in your "tag-line" but it
bounced back.

I rechecked that add-in document by the way. I think I
understand what I was supposed to check, it was not
exactly stated outright. I looked at Tools|Templates and
Add-ins and there were no global templates or add-ins
listed in my work copy of Word or my home copy of Word.

Guess it's just one of those things. I doubt it is a
virus b/c where I work is very, very careful about these
things. I'm thinking it's some weird network setup. I
suppose the next thing is for me to check on another
person's computer.

If you get any other ideas, let me know.

Reena
 
Hi,

There are Add-Ins that will not show up just using the menus that come with
Word. The page I referred you to has instructions to add another command to
your Tools menu so you can see .com Add-Ins. <URL:
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/CheckIfAddinsInstalled.htm>

Also, open the vba editor and check for macros in your template. Alt-F11
will open that and you will see something a bit like the Windows Explorer
interface. On the left should be a set of projects (templates). One will be
your document template. See if it has any "modules." If it does,
double-click on one and you'll see macros in your template. Also
double-click on the ThisDocument component of your document and its attached
template. If there is code there copy it and paste it into a reply to this
message.

All I can think of for now.
--

Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory:
<URL: http://addbalance.com/word/index.htm>

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

See also the MVP FAQ: <URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/> which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.
 
I so much appreciate all those people trying to solve this one... but I
have to say the problem is still here.

I agree with the observation that the first time I create a new
normal.dot (By deleting my old one) it would prompt me to save, but not
multiple times afterwards.

I have searched for the officeav.dll but it's not there (it's a new
build of XP Pro, so I didn't really expect it - but I checked anyway).

And, as I stated in my first email, there are NO MACROS or rather VB
code in my normal.dot file. Which, when you think about the fact that I
ocassioanlly delete the normal.dot file so word will create a new one,
then we know it won't have any code in it.

Oh, and I also tested Reena's experience... and I have no problem with
the normal.dot file on a different PC (again, I didn't really expect
to). I've also tried disabling Symantec Antivirus as well.

So, please please please, if anyone out there knows anything, I'd be
really happy. And if you lived anywhere near me I'd buy you many pints
(so now you know which English-speaking country I come from)!!!!

Thanks again to those of you who have helped to-date.
 
There are Add-Ins that will not show up just using the menus that come with
Word. The page I referred you to has instructions to add another command to
your Tools menu so you can see .com Add-Ins. <URL:
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/CheckIfAddinsInstalled.htm>


--

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

See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.
 
At last, at last, at last! I've found it... please all take not
(especially the MS Word MVPs - who can, as they always do, really hel
with this one by spreadking the word - who knows, even into
Knowledgebase article).

My particular problem was caused by a dll lurking in th
Windows\System32 folder called "btsendto_office.dll" and wa
preinstalled by Dell as part of the BlueTooth suite on my notebook.
have no idea at this stage whether this software is proprietary to Del
or is a standard OEM package. But in any case, the way I discovered i
might well help others.

Yes, there are Macros, Addins, VBA, etc., lurking in the startu
folders, the templates and addins list in the tools menu, and also a
Com addins (found by adding the option to the menu or toolbar). Bu
mine was totally hidden, and here's how I found it (probably bleedin
obvious now - but no one anywhere I've read has yet mentioned it):

Note: This is all Word 2003 - don't know / can't remember ho
applicable it will be to Word XP or 2000, but suspect it won't be fa
out!

1) Start Word and Go to Tools / Macro / Security.

2) Set the Security Level on the first (Security Level) tab to Medium.

3) Click on the the second (Trusted Publishers) tab and uncheck bot
the check boxes. (You may need to "remove" any trusted publishers i
the list, although I didn't have any there).

4) Click OK and close Word.

5) Start word again...

It will now start telling you about all these other hidden addins
and pieces of VBA code. In addition to the btsendto_office.dll, I als
noted several from Microsoft living in the Program Files / Common File
/ Microsoft Share / Smart Tags folder that wanted to load. However th
latter had a certificate, so I was able to trust them.

Because my btsendto_office.dll did NOT have a certificate...

6) I was then able to repeat step 2 and turn Macro security back t
high. It loads the Microsoft Smarttag addins (not sure what they ad
over and above the core code, but I've kept it in any case), bu
doesn't load my btsendto_office.dll becuase it's not signed.

Yours may be the same or similar, but I bet you will find additiona
addins / vba code that don't show up as previously described by the M
KB articles and our MVP friends. Of course, the btsendto_office.dl
file shouldn't mark my Normal.dot as changed, and that is where th
real fault is, but clearly Microsoft are happy for developers to loa
stuff into Word via the registry without the user having any contro
over this (despite the Tools / Teamplates and Addins functionality).

BTW, the same procedure in Excel reveals the btsendto_office.dll, bu
in this case it doesn't upset my personal.xls file, so I don't have th
same problem.

If this works for you, please do spread the word (excuse the pun)!

Thanks, sincerely, to all those who have attempted to resolve thi
problem. It exists in many other newsgroups and forums, so if you hav
time - it would help all!

Nic
 
Thanks for the feedback. This is indeed interesting.

--
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.
 
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