How to set default margins for all new users who log in?

[Keith]

I have a common access Windows 2000 Pro computer running Word 2000. I need all users (new and returning) to have default margins of 1" and to have the default font be Courier. Rather than having each user set their own defaults, can I set Word up so that when the user logs in and a user profile is created, once they open Word, the margins and font is already set?
Thanks.
Keith

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi =?Utf-8?B?S2VpdGg=?=,

I have a common access Windows 2000 Pro computer running Word 2000. I need all users

(new and returning) to have default margins of 1" and to have the default font be Courier.
Rather than having each user set their own defaults, can I set Word up so that when the
user logs in and a user profile is created, once they open Word, the margins and font is
already set?you should be able to use a "batch" to copy a pre-formatted Normal.dot template to each
user's Templates folder. Note, however, that this would lose any customizations they may
have made up until now. So it might be a good idea to
- rename the current Normal.dot
- move it to the users' Startup folder
- then copy over your version of Normal.dot

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

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[Keith]

Thanks for the response. However, when a new user logs into the computer and Windows 2000 creates a new profile, Microsoft Word 2000 still "initializes" itself for the user. I've tried placing the normal.dot file in the "all users" and "default user" profile directory's .\application data\Microsoft\Word\Template and the startup folder. But the first launch of MS Word overwrites these directories while initializing itself.

Keiht

 

[Graham Mayor]

You should not be messing with the default normal.dot template. That is a
user file and Word only works well when it is used in that manner. If you
want company standards use *document* templates and make them globally
available via the Workgroup template facility. Then insist your users use
the document templates for company documents.

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi =?Utf-8?B?S2VpdGg=?=,

However, when a new user logs into the computer and Windows 2000 creates a new

profile, Microsoft Word 2000 still "initializes" itself for the user. I've tried placing
the normal.dot file in the "all users" and "default user" profile directory's
.\application data\Microsoft\Word\Template and the startup folder. But the first launch
of MS Word overwrites these directories while initializing itself.Unlike Graham, I think it's perfectly legitimate for you to provide your own version of
Normal.dot as a company standard "for getting started", with the margin settings you
prefer.

Unfortunately, I'm not a set up expert But someone in the word.setup.networking or
office.setup newsgroup ought to be able to help you.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply in the
newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[Graham Mayor]

There are two main problems with providing a 'standard' normal.dot file.

1. It becomes tempting to share normal.dot which stifles user creativity and
in a worst case scenario its corruption can stop the whole workforce.
2. Replacing it on log-in loses users' personalisations which reduces
productivity and annoys the hell out of experienced users for no good
reason.

Any standards required can be provided in the document templates required
for company documents.

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


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[Keith]

Understood regarding mucking around with the normal.dot file. In this situation, the workstation in question is used for a specialized application only. Various people must use this computer to run the app. Not a problem except that the app uses MS Word to generate reports and unless the margins are set a certain way, attempting to print it hangs the server's print spooler! I'd rather not go along the route of trying to persuade the vendor to modify the app. Trying various print drivers and printers did not help.

Keith

 

[Graham Mayor]

Understood - in those circumstances you need to ensure that all users on
this work station use the same Word version and the same copy of normal.dot.
This then becomes a networking issue.
I would have thought also that if a vendor supplies an app. usually at great
cost, that the user should not have to jump through hoops to make it work as
intended. This sounds like poor programming to me

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


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

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Graham,

There are two main problems with providing a 'standard' normal.dot file.

1. It becomes tempting to share normal.dot which stifles user creativity and
in a worst case scenario its corruption can stop the whole workforce.

If anyone ever comes along and says they want to 1. lock down Normal.dot and
2. force users to share it (happens often enough in the German NGs, BTW), then
I agree with you totally.

2. Replacing it on log-in loses users' personalisations which reduces
productivity and annoys the hell out of experienced users for no good
reason.

Well, yes-and-no. Whichever way the decision goes, the users need to be
trained. There's the problem with NOrmal.dot that it tends to "go bad" and
need replacing every once in a while, and under those circumstances one could
lose everything, too. But if the users are trained to place their
personalizations in a global template, this gets around that problem, as well.
Then the only obstacle would be personalized AutoText entries.

In any case, I understood the original question to mean that they just wanted
certain margins. And in this case, the "customized" Normal.dot would only have
to be copied over once.

OTOH, if Keith had mentioned originally that it was just for one particular
application, I'd have suggested creating a template specific for that purpose


Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or
reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi =?Utf-8?B?S2VpdGg=?=,

So how do you create a template that is used by all users--existing profiles on the

workstation and newly created profiles? It's okay to delete all existing profiles such
that when the user logs on, a new profile is created with the modified template, but
trying to tell them to start Word so it initializes, then quit Word and copy the
normal.dot file, or go to the Word menus to make some changes...wouldn't work out too
well.Well, given these parameters, I'd say:
- Set up a shared folder on the network (or a folder on the machine, if it's just this
machine)
- Set it as the "Workgroup templates" folder for all profiles (you should be able to
use a policy for this?)
- Put the template(s) all the users should share in this folder. They should appear
together with the user-specific templates under File/New

If the idea is also that they shouldn't even have to go through File/New, I'd set up an
additional template as an Addin and have it copied to the users StartUp folder(s). (If
this is all on the same machine, this can be the same folder). Place a toolbar in it with
a button that creates a new document from this shared template. You can even have an
AutoExec in it that creates a new document from the template as Word is started up.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply in the
newsgroup and not by e-mail