Word points to wrong NORMAL.DOT...?

[Kenneth]

Howdy,

I run Word 2000 SP3, and can't seem to get it to point to
the correct Normal.dot.

Here are the details:

This is a new installation (I toasted my old desktop).

A search of the complete system shows that I have only one
Normal.dot in a folder called F:\Templates.

In Word's Tools | Options | File Locations I have set both
User Templates and Workgroup Templates to F:\Templates.

If I simply launch Word, it defaults to the font that I use
in the intended Normal.dot, but if I then look in Tools |
Macro | Macros, none appear (and I have a ton.)

If, instead, I close Word, navigate to the only copy of
Normal.dot I have, and double click on its icon, Word
Launches, but then when I look in Tools | Macro | Macros is
shows "Normal.dot (global template)" in the dropdown and the
Macros field blank.

If I then drop down the dot field and click on "Normal.dot
(Template)", the Macros field populates.

So (and with apologies if all this is too much detail), it
seems that word somehow sees two different versions of
Normal.dot one of which is a "global template" and the other
just a plain ol' "template."

That latter one is the one that I want Word to use.

Can you help me to do that?

Very sincere thanks,

 

[Jay Freedman]

I think you'll find that there really are two Normal.dot templates, but one
of them is in a hidden folder.

The default installation places your User Templates location at C:\Documents
and Settings\<your login name>\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates, and
puts the default Normal.dot there. The Application Data folder and
everything under it are marked as Hidden. Unless you change a setting in
Windows Explorer, you can't search or browse to anything there.

To get access, open Windows Explorer and click Tools > Folder Options >
View. Select the option "Show hidden files and folders" and click OK. Now
rerun your search for Normal.dot, and delete the one you find under
Application Data.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Kenneth]

I think you'll find that there really are two Normal.dot templates, but one
of them is in a hidden folder.

The default installation places your User Templates location at C:\Documents
and Settings\<your login name>\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates, and
puts the default Normal.dot there. The Application Data folder and
everything under it are marked as Hidden. Unless you change a setting in
Windows Explorer, you can't search or browse to anything there.

To get access, open Windows Explorer and click Tools > Folder Options >
View. Select the option "Show hidden files and folders" and click OK. Now
rerun your search for Normal.dot, and delete the one you find under
Application Data.

Hi Jay,

I thank you for your suggestion, but I already have "Show
hidden files and folders checked."

Any other thoughts about this?

Sincere thanks,

 

[Jay Freedman]

Hi Jay,

I thank you for your suggestion, but I already have "Show
hidden files and folders checked."

Any other thoughts about this?

Sincere thanks,

It does sound like you have things set up right, and I don't have any
real handle yet on what's gone wrong.

One thing that I need to ask is, how did you create the Normal.dot in
the F:\Templates folder? Did you copy/paste or move the Normal.dot
that Word originally created elsewhere, or did you delete the original
after changing the User Template setting and force Word to recreate it
in the new location, or was there some other procedure? It could be
important to know exactly how that file came into existence.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
newsgroup so all may benefit.

 

[Kenneth]

It does sound like you have things set up right, and I don't have any
real handle yet on what's gone wrong.

One thing that I need to ask is, how did you create the Normal.dot in
the F:\Templates folder? Did you copy/paste or move the Normal.dot
that Word originally created elsewhere, or did you delete the original
after changing the User Template setting and force Word to recreate it
in the new location, or was there some other procedure? It could be
important to know exactly how that file came into existence.

Hi again Jay,

I have had things on my former system set up this way for a
l-o-n-g time and so I will have to tell you what I believe
happened rather than what I recall specifically:

I used to use word by leaving Normal.dot in its default
position. Over time, I added macros etc.

Then, at some point, Normal.dot became corrupt.

I had to rebuild things.

At that point, I realized that I would be better off if I
kept it in a location other than the default, and so I moved
it.

Then, when I launched Word, it created a new Normal.dot in
the default location.

At that point, I realized that I needed to tell Word where
to look for the template I wanted to use and so I modified
the File Location setting.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Also, could you tell me something more about why the history
of all this would matter? What might be going on that would
cause you to ask.

Also might you tell me what the deal is with the two
different Normal.dot files appearing in the dropdown, that
is the "Global template" and the "Template"?

Sincere thanks for any further thoughts,

 

[Kenneth]

Hi again Jay,

I have had things on my former system set up this way for a
l-o-n-g time and so I will have to tell you what I believe
happened rather than what I recall specifically:

I used to use word by leaving Normal.dot in its default
position. Over time, I added macros etc.

Then, at some point, Normal.dot became corrupt.

I had to rebuild things.

At that point, I realized that I would be better off if I
kept it in a location other than the default, and so I moved
it.

Then, when I launched Word, it created a new Normal.dot in
the default location.

At that point, I realized that I needed to tell Word where
to look for the template I wanted to use and so I modified
the File Location setting.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Also, could you tell me something more about why the history
of all this would matter? What might be going on that would
cause you to ask.

Also might you tell me what the deal is with the two
different Normal.dot files appearing in the dropdown, that
is the "Global template" and the "Template"?

Sincere thanks for any further thoughts,

Hi again Jay,

I believe that I have this resolved (though, in truth, I
don't understand what's going on.)

I modified the "Startup" folder, and now, when I launch
Word, it uses the correct Normal.dot.

I'll keep you posted if there is anything further on this,
but really did appreciate your help,

 

[Graham Mayor]

Normal.dot must not be in the startup folder! It should be in the user
templates folder. Tools > options > file locations.

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

My web site www.gmayor.com

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

 

[Jay Freedman]

In addition to Graham's warning, if you want to store macros "out of harm's
way", put them into a separate template -- NOT in Normal.dot -- and store
THAT template in the startup folder. Leave Normal.dot in the User Templates
location but without any macros. That should give you the best of both
arrangements.

Any template stored in the Startup location will be loaded during Word's
initialization, and it will be "global", that is, available in all
documents. You don't base new documents on global templates, only on those
in the User Templates or Workgroup Templates locations. Normal.dot is
special, in that it's automatically global but is also used to create new
documents. This confusion is described at
http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/WhatTemplatesStore.htm.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Kenneth]

In addition to Graham's warning, if you want to store macros "out of harm's
way", put them into a separate template -- NOT in Normal.dot -- and store
THAT template in the startup folder. Leave Normal.dot in the User Templates
location but without any macros. That should give you the best of both
arrangements.

Any template stored in the Startup location will be loaded during Word's
initialization, and it will be "global", that is, available in all
documents. You don't base new documents on global templates, only on those
in the User Templates or Workgroup Templates locations. Normal.dot is
special, in that it's automatically global but is also used to create new
documents. This confusion is described at
http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/WhatTemplatesStore.htm.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

Hi Jay and Graham,

I thank you both!