Word Clipboard Toolbar Always Docks Itself

[Owl1]

I hope somebody can solve this. I use Word 2000 (9.0, 3821 SR-1) and use the
*floating* Clipboard toolbar a lot in my work. Somehow - I don't know how -
the Clipboard toolbar now docks itself automatically, so that every time I
close and reopen Word, and then press Ctrl-C twice to display the Clipboard
toolbar, it appears docked above the formatting toolbar. I then have to drag
it down beside my document to see and use its 12 cells. Since I have to do
this again and again, this is getting old!

I've tried Detect & Repair, and have scoured the internet for a solution,
without luck. I found someone who told people how to get Word 2000 to dock
its Clipboard toolbar *permanently* by going to Control Panel > Accessibility
Options > and click on "Show extra keyboard help in program". That box isn't
checked.

I have tried installing a backup copy I made of Word's normal.dot, in case
this has been corrupted, but this didn't help, either.

Thanks very much for any suggestions!

 

[Owl1]

In the past several weeks, I've tried to solve this problem in other ways,
and am getting nowhere. Every single new document I open displays with the
Clipboard toolbar in docked position, so once I drag it down so I can see the
12 cells and use it in one document, this doesn't carry over to other
documents, already opened or not. I have to drag the Clipboard toolbar to
undock it _in every single document_ to get it to float there. Since I use
this feature many times every day, this is a real hassle. If anyone can help,
I'd surely appreciate it!

 

[Tony Jollans]

Word *should* remember where you last had the toolbar. Off the top of my
head, I believe details are stored in the Word Data key in the registry. Is
this just a problem with the Clipboard toolbar, or do all toolbars behave in
the same way? If it's all toolbars, then are you perhaps in a corporate
environment where your settings may be overridden by over-enthusiastic
techies? If it's just the one toolbar, I can think of no obvious reason,
perhaps the data key is corrupt; it would be worth trying to rename it (and
letting Word create a new one) to see if that solves the problem.

 

[Owl1]

Tony - Thanks very much for posting some suggestions. I'd really like to
solve this. The problem probably doesn't sound important to most people, but
I'm a professional writer and use this feature a lot.

Word is definitely *not* remembering that the Clipboard toolbar was floating
when Word closes. I've tried many times to impress this on its memory, but no
luck!

None of the other Word toolbars has any problems. I'm not in a corporate
environment and am the only user of this computer.

Could you tell me how to check to see if the data key is corrupted, or how
to force Word to create a new one? I'm not experienced *at all* with regedit!

Many thanks for your help!

 

[Tony Jollans]

Take care in the Registry. If you're unsure about anything, don't do it.

Renaming keys and values, rather than deleting them, is non-destructive, and
allows you to rename them back afterwards. I usually add a ! character to
the end of the name - that way it stays in alphabetic order but is obvious
to see. That is, though, just a suggestion and you can do as you wish.

Navigate, using the left hand panel, to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Word\Data

In the right hand panel there should be 3 values: Default, Settings, and
Toolbars. Select Toolbars and rename it (right click and select Rename, or
press F2, Edit the name, and press Enter to commit)

 

[Owl1]

I followed your directions (very clear - thanks!): I navigated to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Word\Data, renamed Toolbars
to OldToolbars!, hit Enter, restarted the computer, opened Word, found that
the Standard and Formatting Toolbars now showed up on one line, hit Ctrl-C
twice, and there -- in front of God, me, and everyone! -- Word displayed the
Clipboard toolbar _docked_, as usual! I dragged it so it would float, closed
Word, re-opened Word, and it was again docked.

You're good to offer some help, which I immensely appreciate. If you have
any other ideas, I'll gladly try them.

 

[Graham Mayor]

I dragged it so it would float, closed Word, re-opened Word, and it
was again docked.

It should stay where you left it (and certainly does in later Word versions)
however try the following.

Open the Normal template. If you have not changed the default user template
folder, you will find the template in the folder
%appdata%\Microsoft\Templates

Enter or copy the above into the Explorer address bar.

Move the toolbar to where you want it. Add a character to the text space and
delete it. Save and close the template.

Close and re-open Word. Is the toolbar now where you left it?

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

My web site www.gmayor.com

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

 

[grammatim]

(When Graham says "Explorer," he means "(My) Computer." Folks who have
been using Windows for many years don't realize that more recent users
aren't aware of the name "Explorer" having been used for anything
other than the internet access tool.)

 

[Graham Mayor]

Windows Explorer (Windows XP) Windows Vista Explorer (Vista) and Internet
Explorer all have an address bar and will work just the same. They are
merely access points into the Windows filing system.
--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

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

 

[grammatim]

And where on one's computer, praytell, will one find something labeled
"Windows Explorer" or "Windows Vista Explorer"? Not in the Start menu
or in the Start > All Programs menu.

My point in several messages these last few days is that the experts
are giving vague hints that will only require the OPs to post again
asking what they mean (as happens very often), instead of explicit
instructions the first time.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

FWIW, if you right-click on the Start button (at least in Windows XP and
2000), one of the menu items is "Explore."

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

And where on one's computer, praytell, will one find something labeled
"Windows Explorer" or "Windows Vista Explorer"? Not in the Start menu
or in the Start > All Programs menu.

My point in several messages these last few days is that the experts
are giving vague hints that will only require the OPs to post again
asking what they mean (as happens very often), instead of explicit
instructions the first time.

 

[grammatim]

In Vista, too. It brings up what seems to be the same window as
"Computer" -- (a) with an extra click, and (b) why would someone think
of right-clicking on the Start button?, and (c) that's not "Explorer."

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Explore is also one of the options if you right-click My Computer on the
desktop. You use the Explorer to Explore.

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

In Vista, too. It brings up what seems to be the same window as
"Computer" -- (a) with an extra click, and (b) why would someone think
of right-clicking on the Start button?, and (c) that's not "Explorer."

 

[grammatim]

Ah -- we've found another difference in Vista. There's no "Computer"
on the Desktop.

But if right-clicking on My Computer and choosing Explore gives the
same result as clicking directly on My Computer, what's the point?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

There's actually a subtle difference. The default action when you
double-click on My Computer is Open, which (at least in my copy of Windows
XP) opens a window with a blue panel on the left with System Tasks, Other
Places, and Details. Explore, OTOH, opens the same Explorer window as I get
with WinKey+E, with a folder tree in the left panel, the same view you get
if you click the Folders button in the window opened by double-clicking on
the icon (the Folders button toggles between these two views).

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

Ah -- we've found another difference in Vista. There's no "Computer"
on the Desktop.

But if right-clicking on My Computer and choosing Explore gives the
same result as clicking directly on My Computer, what's the point?

 

[Tony Jollans]

Start > All Programs > Accessories > Windows Explorer

The name "Explorer" is fairly well established although there may be some
users who don't recognise it - or confuse it with Internet Explorer
(although you can browse your computer with IE if you want). Microsoft
terminology can have a tendency to confuse but it simply isn't possible to
give details for all possible scenarios. The OP does have the ability to ask
for more detail if there is something he doesn't understand, but I suspect a
user of Word 2000 probably knows what Explorer is.

In this instance the Explorer one, perhaps, wants to use is the Word Open
Dialog; going via My Computer is a long way round.

--
Enjoy,
Tony

www.WordArticles.com

And where on one's computer, praytell, will one find something labeled
"Windows Explorer" or "Windows Vista Explorer"? Not in the Start menu
or in the Start > All Programs menu.

My point in several messages these last few days is that the experts
are giving vague hints that will only require the OPs to post again
asking what they mean (as happens very often), instead of explicit
instructions the first time.

 

[Owl1]

Thank you for your suggestion, Graham, but it didn't work. I did what you
recommended: I opened Normal.dot, moved the Clipboard toolbar from its
obsessive docked position so it would float normally, added a text space to
the document and then deleted it, save the result, closed Normal.dot, closed
Word, re-opened Word, hit Ctrl-C twice, and, lo!, the Clipboard toolbar was
RIGHT BACK IN ITS DOCKED POSITION.

To say this is frustrating is an understatement! I very much appreciate your
thinking about this and offering any ideas. I'm more than willing to try any
suggestions. Many thanks, again.

 

[Tony Jollans]

Default toolbar positions are held in the registry; customizations are held
in templates or documents. I am not aware of any other data held anywhere
that affects this.

Do you get the same result if you start Word in safe mode - hold down Ctrl
while opening Word?

 

[Graham Mayor]

Hmmm. As you have tried the more obvious things, I wonder if this was a
limitation of Word 2000, fixed in later versions? Certainly with Word 2003
it stays where you put it.

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

My web site www.gmayor.com

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

 

[Tony Jollans]

To some extent what happens after 2000 is irrelevant, as it became a Task
Pane. But there is no limitation - it used to work for Owl1, and still works
for me.