normal.dot (Word XP) freezes after Win XP SP2 Installation

[hdn]

On a number of systems, the normal.dot seems to freeze after installation of
SP2. All changes get lost when word is closed, change time of normal.dot on
all those systems stays at a time before SP2 was installed. After removing
the old normal.dot, word does not create a new one. A complete re-install of
Office didn't change behaviour. Unfortunately, not all SP2 installed systems
show the bug, so it has at least to be something more than just SP2 that
causes it.
I know, an OS update should`nt affect the internal behaviour of word and i
also can't find any clue in SP2 docs on modifying office in any way, but
given the security motivation of SP2 and the central role of normal.dot in
macrovirus based attacks together with the striking correlation of the time
stamps, i woud like to hear, if there are similar incidents aout there.

We are also currently exploring a finding here on msdn that deals with
Acrobat v7 blocking normal.dot to be updated, although up to now, we use only
older versions of Acrobat.

Please comment or give any idea.

 

[TF]

Neither Word XP or Word2003 create a normal.dot until a change is made to
the system that requires the normal.dot. Changing the Default font is a
change that will force normal.dot to be created. So open Word and go to
Tools, Options, Save tab and make sure that the Prompt to Save Normal
Template is checked. Then go to Format, Font, change the font and press
DEFAULT button. Then close Word. After saying no to saving doc1.doc, you
should be prompted to save the changes to the global template: answer Yes.

Now open Word again and make sure that the default font has changed. Has it
worked?



: On a number of systems, the normal.dot seems to freeze after installation
of
: SP2. All changes get lost when word is closed, change time of normal.dot
on
: all those systems stays at a time before SP2 was installed. After removing
: the old normal.dot, word does not create a new one. A complete re-install
of
: Office didn't change behaviour. Unfortunately, not all SP2 installed
systems
: show the bug, so it has at least to be something more than just SP2 that
: causes it.
: I know, an OS update should`nt affect the internal behaviour of word and i
: also can't find any clue in SP2 docs on modifying office in any way, but
: given the security motivation of SP2 and the central role of normal.dot in
: macrovirus based attacks together with the striking correlation of the
time
: stamps, i woud like to hear, if there are similar incidents aout there.
:
: We are also currently exploring a finding here on msdn that deals with
: Acrobat v7 blocking normal.dot to be updated, although up to now, we use
only
: older versions of Acrobat.
:
: Please comment or give any idea.

 

[hdn]

No, of course we did changes that Word would have had to write into normal.dot.

But right now, i got good news from our field service: Despite what we
thought, Adobe Acrobat v7 was installed on that machine and deactivating the
Office component in Acrobat seems to have solved the problem. Since then,
Word updates normal.dot as expected. We will have to do more thorough testing
on other machines, but for now i hope we got it.

Thank you anyway for responding,
hdn

 

[Charles Kenyon]

I seem to recall that I checked this on my installation of Word 2003 a while
back and a normal.dot was created even though no changes were made to the
defaults. (The creation happened when Word was closed, normal.dot did not
appear until then.) I removed my regular Add-Ins from the startup folder but
did not uninstall WOPR. I suppose that could have been what did it.
--
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

See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
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.

 

[TF]

Charles

Almost certainly that is what caused normal.dot to be created. We do dozens
of 'virgin' installs of Windows XP and Office every week, so I can assure
you that normal.dot definitely doesn't exist until it needs it.

Terry

message :I seem to recall that I checked this on my installation of Word 2003 a
while
: back and a normal.dot was created even though no changes were made to the
: defaults. (The creation happened when Word was closed, normal.dot did not
: appear until then.) I removed my regular Add-Ins from the startup folder
but
: did not uninstall WOPR. I suppose that could have been what did it.
: --
: 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
:
: See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
: --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
: 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.
:
: "TF" <terryfarrell%40%6d%73%6e%2ecom> wrote in message
: : > Neither Word XP or Word2003 create a normal.dot until a change is made
to
: > the system that requires the normal.dot. Changing the Default font is a
: > change that will force normal.dot to be created. So open Word and go to
: > Tools, Options, Save tab and make sure that the Prompt to Save Normal
: > Template is checked. Then go to Format, Font, change the font and press
: > DEFAULT button. Then close Word. After saying no to saving doc1.doc, you
: > should be prompted to save the changes to the global template: answer
Yes.
: >
: > Now open Word again and make sure that the default font has changed. Has
: > it
: > worked?
: >
: > --
: > Terry Farrell - Word MVP
:
: >
: > : > : On a number of systems, the normal.dot seems to freeze after
: > installation
: > of
: > : SP2. All changes get lost when word is closed, change time of
normal.dot
: > on
: > : all those systems stays at a time before SP2 was installed. After
: > removing
: > : the old normal.dot, word does not create a new one. A complete
: > re-install
: > of
: > : Office didn't change behaviour. Unfortunately, not all SP2 installed
: > systems
: > : show the bug, so it has at least to be something more than just SP2
that
: > : causes it.
: > : I know, an OS update should`nt affect the internal behaviour of word
and
: > i
: > : also can't find any clue in SP2 docs on modifying office in any way,
but
: > : given the security motivation of SP2 and the central role of
normal.dot
: > in
: > : macrovirus based attacks together with the striking correlation of the
: > time
: > : stamps, i woud like to hear, if there are similar incidents aout
there.
: > :
: > : We are also currently exploring a finding here on msdn that deals with
: > : Acrobat v7 blocking normal.dot to be updated, although up to now, we
use
: > only
: > : older versions of Acrobat.
: > :
: > : Please comment or give any idea.
: >
: >
:
: