Expanding Normal.dot file

[Gordon Potter]

Word 2002, SP3, Operating System Win WP Prof.

About a month ago Word crash upon opening. I deleted Normal.dot and things
were "normal" again. Yesterday Word began crashing again. I noticed my
Normal.dot file was about 984K -- Deleted it again. Now I observe the
normal.dot file increases in size everytime I open Word - not need to change
Word settings or open a document. This does not happen on my second PC.

 

[Charles Kenyon]

I suspect you have a poorly written Add-In that keeps changing your
normal.dot. The first line of defense is under Tools > Options > Save. Check
the box to prompt to save changes to normal.dot.

Then check for Add-Ins.
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/CheckIfAddinsInstalled.htm
Decide what they do, and whether you want them. If not, uinstall them.

Write to the company that installed the Add-In on your computer without
asking you and send them a bill for your time.
--
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.

 

[Gordon Potter]

Charles I opened Word, clicked on Tools in the Menu and then Templates.
There were only two listed. Adobe Acrobate (not loaded) and a Documents to
Go Addin (DVZWDaddin.dot) which had a check mark. I finally chased down the
copies of the second addin and renamed them. I have rebooted the PC and my
Normal.dot file is still changing and growing every time I open Word.

Any other ideas?

 

[Charles Kenyon]

Did you (1) change the setting for the prompt?
(2) read the article on Add-Ins?
--
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.

 

[Gordon Potter]

Yes Charles I did read your link.

I am not sure what you mean by "change the setting for the prompt?" I have
removed the addins -- i.e. when I open Word; Tools; Templates and Add-ins"
nothing is listed in the box for Addins. Similarly the Com Add-ins box is
empty. If you mean did I remove checkmarks, there are no boxes for check
marks even.

The time and date of my normal.dot changes every time I open Word - not a
document just Word. The normal.dot file size still increases in size.

Additionally in the odd event something in Normal.dot was caused problems I
have both deleted it and copies another normal.dot from another PC without
the behavior.

Also I am clean and current Microsoft's AntiSpyware and Norton's AV.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

What Charles was asking was whether you had checked the box for "Prompt to
save Normal template" on the Save tab of Tools | Options. This will force
Word to ask your permission before saving Normal.dot and allow you to say
no.

 

[Gordon Potter]

Regarding forcing a prompt to save to Normal.dot, I don't want to do that --
If I do, I have to say "no" everytime I close Word or Outlook. I do
understand that prevents the normal.dot file from growing; but I would rather
find the cause.

Can you think of any other causes? or testing that could identify what is
going on?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

This is almost always caused by a poorly written add-in. The two most
notorious culprits are the Office Plug-in in Norton AntiVirus and the
Microsoft Works Suite Add-in for Word. For other possibilities, see “Word
prompts me to save changes to the Normal.dot template†at
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011514521033.aspx

 

[Gordon Potter]

Thanks for the comments. I have follow everything I understand. I have
disabled the Norton AV. I have no add-ins showing under the Tools; Templates
or Tools; Com add-in. I did find some stuff in the Help;About;Systom Info,
*but* the link says this is important for Word 2003 and I have Word 2002.
Nothing for Works -- no on this machine since the large HDD format. Norton
AV 2005 says I am clean, so as far as I can tell I have run the string out on
the link you provided.

If there is anyplace else to look or stuff to check. I will dig through it.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I can't think of anything else, but what is certain is that *something* is
altering your Normal.dot, and if you don't want it changed, your best bet is
to give yourself the option of saying no.