NORMAL.DOC

[William]

Word 2003/XP

I am trying to find, open and change the default font in Normal.dot. The
directions in Word Inside/Out are:

Tools/Options/File Locations Tab/User templates/Modify.

When I click modify, I get the templates dialog box, but the "Look in"
window is empty. In the "Folder name" window there is my name (the user),
and nothing in the drop down box.

Word 2003 Help on the web gives these directions to change Normal.dot.:

File/Open/C:/Documents and Settings/User Name/Application
Data/Microsoft/Templates. However, once I click on my user name, the next
screen does not have "Application Data." The only folders showing are
"Desktop," "Favorites," "My Documents" and "Start Menu."

I tried going through My Computer/C:/Program Files/Microsoft
Office/Templates/1033 folder, which seems to contain all sorts or templates
for Word, but not Normal.dot.

I also tried:

File/New/Templates on my computer/Blank Document. I made the changes I
wanted and when I try to save the doc as a template, I get a window that has
"Normal.dot" in it. I try to save it as Normal.dot but then get a message
that "Word cannot give a document the same name as an open document."
However, when I look at the title bar of that document, it says "Template 1."
There is not another session of Word open, and the file is not in use by
someone else on the network.

I'm stumped. Help!?

William

 

[Stefan Blom]

in message

Word 2003/XP

I am trying to find, open and change the default font in Normal.dot. The
directions in Word Inside/Out are:

Tools/Options/File Locations Tab/User templates/Modify.

When I click modify, I get the templates dialog box, but the "Look in"
window is empty. In the "Folder name" window there is my name (the user),
and nothing in the drop down box.

Word 2003 Help on the web gives these directions to change Normal.dot.:

File/Open/C:/Documents and Settings/User Name/Application
Data/Microsoft/Templates. However, once I click on my user name, the next
screen does not have "Application Data." The only folders showing are
"Desktop," "Favorites," "My Documents" and "Start Menu."

I tried going through My Computer/C:/Program Files/Microsoft
Office/Templates/1033 folder, which seems to contain all sorts or
templates
for Word, but not Normal.dot.

You don't have to open normal.dot to change the default font. You can create
a document based on the template, display the Font dialog box (Format |
Font), make the desired changes and then click the Default button. See
http://word.mvps.org/faqs/customization/CustomizeNormalTemplate.htm. The
article also has instructions for finding normal.dot and opening it as a
document. Note that recent versions of Word place normal.dot in a *hidden*
folder, which is probably why you were unable to locate it.

I also tried:

File/New/Templates on my computer/Blank Document. I made the changes I
wanted and when I try to save the doc as a template, I get a window that
has
"Normal.dot" in it. I try to save it as Normal.dot but then get a message
that "Word cannot give a document the same name as an open document."
However, when I look at the title bar of that document, it says "Template
1."
There is not another session of Word open, and the file is not in use by
someone else on the network.

I'm stumped. Help!?

William

Normal.dot opens, behind the scenes, when Word is running; that's why you
are getting the error message.

 

[William]

Can you help with the original question:
"I am trying to find, open and change the default font in Normal.dot?"

Thanks,

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Stefan has answered both your questions. You change the default font in
Normal.dot by changing it in the Font dialog in any document based on
Normal.dot and clicking Default.... You'll find other customization
instructions at
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/CustomizeNormalTemplate.htm

You locate Normal.dot by following the instructions at
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/BlankDocNotBlank.htm. Note that if you
have something called Normal.doc, it is just a document, and you change the
default font by changing the font of the Normal style. If you're wanting to
change the default font of all new documents, then you want to change the
default font in Normal.dot, as has been explained.

 

[William]

Thank you Suzanne and Stefan. I appreciate the help very much.