Can't Find Normal template

[pdberger]

I upgraded to '07, and would finally like to get around to changing the
normal document template -- "normal.dotm". For the life of me, I can't find
it! I remember things like this being in the \Program Files\Microsoft
Office\Templates folder, but I can't find it there. I search my entire disc,
but don't find it that way either.

I have a 'typical' Office 07 installation; I don't believe I've moved
anythign like this around. Can anyone point me towards it?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Jay Freedman]

I upgraded to '07, and would finally like to get around to changing the
normal document template -- "normal.dotm". For the life of me, I can't find
it! I remember things like this being in the \Program Files\Microsoft
Office\Templates folder, but I can't find it there. I search my entire disc,
but don't find it that way either.

I have a 'typical' Office 07 installation; I don't believe I've moved
anythign like this around. Can anyone point me towards it?

Thanks in advance.

The Normal.dotm file is in your profile, not in the Program Files path. Further,
it's in a hidden folder, which won't show up an a search unless you tell Windows
to display hidden folders and files.

There is a short way, though, and it gets there regardless of whether you have
Windows XP or Vista or any of the other versions. In Windows Explorer (also
called "My Computer" or just "Computer" depending on the Windows version), click
in the address box and paste in this:

%appdata%\Microsoft\Templates

and press Enter.

But... you may not have to find the Normal.dotm file in order to change it. In
the dialogs reached from the dialog launchers on the ribbon (Font, Paragraph,
Page Setup) there's a Default button at the bottom, and clicking that will save
changes in the dialog into Normal.dotm. The New Style and Modify Style dialogs
have option buttons for "New documents based on this template", and if the
current document is based on Normal.dotm and you choose that option, then the
style changes will be sent to Normal.dotm. There are only a few other things
that you might need to open the document for.

 

[grammatim]

But also, Office button > Open > Open What? "Templates" takes you to
that hidden folder where your normal.dotx should be.

(Jay's secret path with the % fence is what you need if you have to
move a 2003 template so it's easily accessible, say for creating new
documents in the old format -- plus he has another secret path for
putting your 2003 template in the Startup folder, which is what you
need to do if it has customizations like keyboard shortcuts that you
want to continue to use.) (I don't do macros, so I don't know where
they'd have to be to continue to work.)