Normal.Dot not saving custom changes

[spongedave]

I recently have started to have a problem saving any changes to
Normal.dot in MS Word 2003. I can see the temp ~normal.dot file being
created in \documents and settings\myid\application
data\microsoft\templates, but when I close Word, any customization
changes are lost, the original Normal.Dot is not overwritten, and
time/date stamp does not change. I have the setting to "prompt to save
Normal template" set in Tools/Opions/Save, but I do not get any prompt,
so something is blocking the save from occurring. Does anyone have
suggestions as to a cause and fix?

 

[garfield-n-odie]

Is Adobe Acrobat 7.0 installed on the computer? If yes, then the
Acrobat 7.0 Create Adobe PDF toolbar add-in for Word prevents
Word from automatically saving changes to the normal.dot
template. Customize normal.dot again, and click "Shift+File |
Save All" to force Word to save the normal.dot template.
Alternatively, you can prevent the Adobe add-in from loading by
editing the Windows registry key
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Word\Addins\PDFMaker.OfficeAddin"
and changing the "LoadBehavior" subkey value from 3 to 0, but
you'll lose the PDF toolbar if you do this.

 

[Xylophone]

I have 4 'Normal' Word files - 3 called 'Normal' , all templates in
different locations, and 1 called 'Normal.dot' in the same location as one
of the 'Normal' files. My Word 2003 is also slow to open, so I am minded to
get rid of the 'Normal.dot' file by renaming it so that Word will create a
new one, and hopefully there will be some difference on opening the program.
Do I delete the 3 'Normal files and rename the .dot file, and if not, what
should I do? Thanks

 

[garfield-n-odie]

You might have four Normal.dot files if you have four user
profiles set up in Windows, because each user will have his/her
own Normal.dot. In your user profile, the only Normal.dot file
that Word cares about is the one located in the User Templates
folder designated in Tools | Options | File Locations. Renaming
your Normal.dot file is one of the troubleshooting steps in
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/ProbsOpeningWord.htm , so try
it and see if it helps.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If you search Windows for Normal.dot, you may find several, but one will be
the "owner" file (~$Normal.dot) if Word is open, and others, if the icons
are examined closely, will be seen to be shortcuts.

 

[Xylophone]

I am sole user. I have deleted the 3 and renamed .dot and restarted.

Thanks for the reference to .dot in File Locations; had not thought of that.
Search now produces one 'Normal' file in that location, no 'Normal.dot'
file, so assume file is new .dot, although not say so!

Good example of how Word is weird. Have never understood it properly.

 

[Charles Kenyon]

For more on the different kinds of templates, tabs on the file new dialog,
and locations of templates folders see
http://addbalance.com/usersguide/templates.htm.
--

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.

 

[Xylophone]

Did not mention - Word now opens quickly!

For more on the different kinds of templates, tabs on the file new dialog,
and locations of templates folders see
http://addbalance.com/usersguide/templates.htm.
--

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.