Non-default options sometimes fail to stick

[srdiamond]

For example, draft options (draft font, wrap to window in Normal and Outline,
etc.); recently used files in General tab; paste with insert in Edit. I think
all of the items that deviate from default are reset. Whether for better or
worse, this behavior is not consistent. I have not observed a pattern of
events which determine whether on the next reboot the reversion to default
occurs. But it does seem to occur only after a system reboot. It sticks
through starts and restarts of Word.

I don't know whether this is a Word issue or, as seems more likely, a matter
of something in my system wiping out the stored information. Like deleting
some template, but options aren't stored in templates because they affect all
templates.

QUESTION: Where does this information described above reside?

 

[srdiamond]

Was my writing hard to understand, does no one know the answer, or is there a
severe mvp shortage? <g>

Where does Word 2003 store its options? Surely someone knows. The question
should be on an entry-level mvp examination.

 

[TF]

Some stored in normal.dot and others in the registry. Have you had Outlook
closed whilst you do these tests? Have you got Acrobat v7 installed?



: Was my writing hard to understand, does no one know the answer, or is
there a
: severe mvp shortage? <g>
:
: Where does Word 2003 store its options? Surely someone knows. The question
: should be on an entry-level mvp examination.
:
: "srdiamond" wrote:
:
: > For example, draft options (draft font, wrap to window in Normal and
Outline,
: > etc.); recently used files in General tab; paste with insert in Edit. I
think
: > all of the items that deviate from default are reset. Whether for better
or
: > worse, this behavior is not consistent. I have not observed a pattern of
: > events which determine whether on the next reboot the reversion to
default
: > occurs. But it does seem to occur only after a system reboot. It sticks
: > through starts and restarts of Word.
: >
: > I don't know whether this is a Word issue or, as seems more likely, a
matter
: > of something in my system wiping out the stored information. Like
deleting
: > some template, but options aren't stored in templates because they
affect all
: > templates.
: >
: > QUESTION: Where does this information described above reside?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If your settings are not being saved, it may be that Normal.dot is not being
saved (the reason for Terry's question about Acrobat 7; see the last portion
of http://www.gmayor.com/lose_that_adobe_acrobat_toolbar.htm) or that your
Word Data key in the Registry is damaged (see
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/MissingMenusEtc.htm for instructions for
rebuilding it). But it's also possible that a poorly written add-in is
changing your settings or, if you are on a corporate network, that a login
script is resetting them to the default.

There are several KB articles about where settings are stored; I don't
believe there is one specifically for Word 2003, but this one will provide
most of the needed information: “HOW TO: Reset User Options and Registry
Settings in Word 2002†at http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=289294 (scroll
down for a table of where settings are stored).

 

[srdiamond]

The KB article, "HOW TO: Reset User Options and Registry
Settings in Word 2002" at the url you posted, " is unavailable. If it is
posted in a different location, please post it, as I would like to read it.

However, I read a couple of KB articles on the Data Key and it seems a clear
match between the reverting items and the Settings value of that key.
Toolbars are OK. So I deleted that apparently corrupt value, and I'll see
what happens. Still, I'd like to read the other article.

The odd thing is the unpredictability of the loss of the values. Although
I'm beginning to think there's a pattern that when I Explorer crashes, this
information is then lost. I think the data settings were also lost when I
logged off as opposed to restarting.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Apparently several articles have now been combined. See "How to reset user
options and registry settings in Microsoft Office Word 2003, Microsoft Word
2002, and Microsoft Word 2000" at http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=822005