Convert 2002 Word Autotext into 2007 Word Auto Text

[Diane]

I have several users that have multiple autotext entries in Word 2002. We
have just upgraded to Office 2007. They would like to convert their 2002
Autotext entries into 2007 Word AutoText which is now Building Blocks. Does
anyone know how to do this? Is there a way to take their normal.dot file and
convert into 2007 normal.dotx file?

 

[Jay Freedman]

Don't try to "convert" an old normal.dot to normal.dotx. It could have
unpleasant side effects.

Copy/rename the old normal.dot template to something like MyAutoText.dot. If
it contains any macros, delete them. Store this template in the folder

%appdata%\Microsoft\Document Building Blocks

(paste that line into the address box of Windows Explorer and press Enter to
get to the folder even though it's hidden). Then restart Word.

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

 

[Diane]

Thanks Jay, I'll try it and let you know if it was successful. You will make
several people very happy.

Diane

 

[Diane]

Jay, I followed your instructions and can get the old autotext entries into
the building block store, however, is there now way of being able to create a
short name for the autotext entries (as was in 2002) and then when you type
that short name in the document and hit enter key, it puts all of the
autotext entry into the document. (ie. if you had legal paragraphs that you
use in different letters). This is really what our user's want.

Diane

 

[Jay Freedman]

The short name of each entry still exists -- it's the same one assigned in
the older version -- but Word 2007 can't display the little popup tag and
the Enter key doesn't activate the replacement. You can type the short name
and press F3 to insert the entry (this key worked in earlier versions, too,
but hardly anyone knew that).

This shortcoming has been remedied in Word 2010, but with Word 2007 you're
stuck with it. Depending on what's in the entries, you might be able to
convert them to AutoCorrect entries.

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

F3 has been used for that purpose since the days of the Glossary (the
pre-decessor of Autotect) in the DOS versions of Word

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP, originally posted via msnews.microsoft.com

 

[Mile 88]

hi jay

thanks a lot for your advice. it works fine in office 2007. i tested it. can i apply the same solution in Office 2010. in my work, we're deploying office 2010. our os is win XP.

 

[Graham Mayor]

Jay's method will work with 2010, but an alternative approach is to rename
the Word 2010 normal.dotm file (if it has been created) and put the old Word
2002 normal.dot file in the Word 2010 User Templates folder. Start Word and
it will adopt the macros, autotexts, etc from the old normal template. Close
Word and save the normal template at the prompt (you will have to set Word
options to set the prompt to save the normal template), then remove the
normal.dot file from the folder.

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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