Missing Normal.dot

[GMc]

I have used Word for years, and have deleted or renamed the normal.dot
template many times to eliminate problems and start over with a clean
template. Now, with Word 2003 SP2 on Windows XP Pro., when the normal.dot is
deleted, a new one is not created. The only way I could force it to appear
in the templates folder was to record a simple macro with a new file open.
when I quit Word, I was asked whether I wanted to save changes to normal.dot,
and said yes. Voila - a template I could see in the templates folder. Why is
the normal.dot not being created (and visible) as it was in the past?

My templates are all located in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates.
And I searched the entire C: drive, incl. hidden folders etc. before to try
to locate the "new" normal. It didn't exist until I forced Word's hand.

Thanks much.

 

[Robert M. Franz (RMF)]

Hi GMc

I have used Word for years, and have deleted or renamed the normal.dot
template many times to eliminate problems and start over with a clean
template. Now, with Word 2003 SP2 on Windows XP Pro., when the normal.dot is
deleted, a new one is not created. The only way I could force it to appear
in the templates folder was to record a simple macro with a new file open.
when I quit Word, I was asked whether I wanted to save changes to normal.dot,
and said yes. Voila - a template I could see in the templates folder. Why is
the normal.dot not being created (and visible) as it was in the past?

ISTR that the normal.dot is only created (in Word 2003) when you
"customize" it, i.e., when you do anything that would change the default
normal.dot (i.e., changing default text size, language, add an AutoText,
etc.).

HTH
Robert

 

[Graham Mayor]

Do you have Acrobat 7? Early versions prevented normal.dot from being
saved - see the last section of
http://www.gmayor.com/lose_that_adobe_acrobat_toolbar.htm

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[GMc]

Graham,
Yes I do have Acrobat 7.0.9. Thx for the very interesting information.

You mentioned that "early versions" of the Adobe COM add-in signaled a
(false) save of the normal template, but what about 7.0.9? In addition, that
doesn't really tell me why a new normal.dot template does not appear in the
templates folder after I delete (or rename) the existing normal.dot. As
Robert seemed to confirm (Thx, Robert), the normal.dot template isn't created
unless a change is made that would affect it ( I was able to force the
normal.dot to be created when I added the macro). To that point, I was asked
if I wanted to save the template, so I guess that the Acrobat "faux save"
didn't cause a prob. in this case.

If the behavior changed in 2003 per Robert's explanation, that's OK (I
guess), but I just wanted to make sure something wasn't broken in Word.

Thanks again to both of you for info. --Gloria Mc

 

[Graham Mayor]

The problem with Acrobat was corrected before 7.0.9
As Robert confirms, unless you make any change that would affect normal.dot,
normal.dot is not created. As soon as you make such a change you get a
prompt on exit. Confirming that prompt will create the template.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[GMc]

Thanks, Graham.