Changes to Template Settings

[Frogmouth]

Can someone out there in Microsoftland give me a clue as to what is going on
with an errant template.(no, that should read several templates). There are a
number of problems but I am currently only trying to solve one.

I was in the process of setting up a new template for a User Manual.
In the Header and Footer I set two tabs; one at 7.5cm centred and one at
15cm right. So far so good.

I then went to set up the Header font and in the process noticed that the
tabs had decided to move. They now read 7.62cm and 15.24. Word seems to have
a habit of changing various settings for no apparent reason.

I then looked at the Footer settings via 'Reveal Formaating' and sure enough
the tab settings had changed. However, this time to 15.24 - the 7.5 was OK.
BUT, when I went into 'Modify Style', the Tabs dialog box had completed the
change and the tabs were at 7.62 and 15.24.

If anyone can help I would appreciate it very much. If any more information
about other settings is required I can provide it.

As a matter of interest I am an experienced Tech Writer with many years
working with FrameMaker. I have been using Word on this latest contract for
about 18 months but have to report that it is giving me serious grief. This
current problem may seem minor but it is only one of a number. I spend a lot
of time correcting the fromatting of the documents because formatting (and in
particular style settings) just seem to change.

I think I have narrowed it down to something to do with the Tab settings but
I am not sure.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Charles Kenyon]

If you were using the ruler to set tabs, Word has an underlying grid for
tabs and indents. If you hold the Alt key down when moving them, you can get
precise spots.

Note, if possible, use the Header or Footer style when working with these.
--
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




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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.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I'm assuming you changed the tab stop settings in the Header and Footer
styles to begin with and not just in the header and footer paragraphs. Did
you use the ruler (which can be rather approximate) or make the settings in
the Tabs dialog?

 

[Frogmouth]

Thanks Suzanne and Charles for your quick responses:
I set the the Header and Footer up through Styles and Formatting. I typed in
the settings that I wanted.

Something else that I have just noticed that could be connected.
One of the first things I did when setting up the template was to go to the
Tabs dialog box (Format|Tabs menus) and set the Default Tabs stops to 0. I
just went in to check and the default settings have reset back from 0 to 1.27
cm again.

Once again thanks for your help.

 

[Charles Kenyon]

Something else that I have just noticed that could be connected.

One of the first things I did when setting up the template was to go to
the
Tabs dialog box (Format|Tabs menus) and set the Default Tabs stops to 0. I
just went in to check and the default settings have reset back from 0 to
1.27
cm again.

Settings like this are not document-wide or system-wide, they are a part of
paragraph formatting (which is best set through the style). Sorry, don't
have a clue as to what is going on for you, though.
--
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




--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
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.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Default tab intervals *are* document-wide, and in a template, they would
affect all documents based on the template. It is very worrying that a
setting of this type would not be saved. I'm wondering if the template is
somehow corrupt.

 

[Frogmouth]

I took your comments on board and spent a few hours last night working on
a new template, trying to recreate the problems. Things went from bad to
worse with a number of crashes occuring. Everything was pointing to something
in the tabs causing a number of related problems (I also have trouble with
numbered headings deciding to add and lose tabs, and change the indent
setting).
During one crash I got a message to carry out a Microsoft Update check
and discovered that Mozilla Firefox (my browser) was blocking Active Server
Pages (I think that was what it said, but by now it was very early in the
morning).
The upshot is that I have now downloaded and installed SP2 and other
updates for Word 2003. I will make a start later on today and see if that has
made any difference. I will keep you posted.
Thanks for your ongoing help.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Another thing that occurs to me is that Tabs may be one of the constellation
of dialogs (Print, Font, Style, Symbol, Page Setup, Paragraph, etc.) that
can be affected by the printer driver. Sometimes problems with those dialogs
point to a damaged printer driver, in which case deleting and reinstalling
the printer (with an updated driver if one is available) may help.

 

[Frogmouth]

Thanks Suzanne for your thoughts.

The printer driver is a good point and I will check it out when I finish
this latest test.
After loading SP2 for Word 2003, et al, I carried on for a while with the
template and everything seemed to be going fine.
I have now deliberately started a new template - I downloaded Word
Templates (A Guide to their Creation) from John McGhie and I am working
through that. I figure that this is a well tried template that wouldn't
contain anything likely to cause a problem.
I am about half way through without any trouble and things are looking
good. His (John's) approach to setting out a user manual template is pretty
standard with no surprises and I have yet to find anything that I did which
is different.
Anyway, so far so good. (looks like it may have been SP2 update which helped)

Once I have finished this test (hopefully with success) I will check out the
printer driver and see if it could do with an update.
Thanks for your support - greatly appreciated.