Question, kevs:
Are you saying that the "prompt to save Normal" box in Word | Preferences |
Save has always been unchecked?
Yet, even with it unchecked, you are getting a message "Changes made effect
global template of normal do you want to replace?"
If that box is unchecked, you should not get any such message. If this
really is the case, what is the *exact* wording of the message?
Overview you asked for:
From Word's point of view, the Normal template is constantly active in the
background. There are a number of things in the ordinary course of using
Word that cause changes to be made to Normal--for instance, any time you
change a Default setting, or make a change to a toolbar. Those changes have
to be saved.
Word will save such changes to Normal invisibly on quitting, but it doesn't
change the real situation, which is that there is an extra open document
that needs to be saved.
There is not a single software application out there that will quit when
there are unsaved changes to a document. They all hang up on that.
Now, since you don't know Normal is there, Word will automatically save it
on quit without involving you. Unless you have "prompt to save Normal"
checked, which is a hyperprotective measure so that you know when Normal is
being changed. In that case, obviously, you know Normal is there and can
correct for the inconvenience this prompt causes.
Unchecking the "prompt to save Normal" means all of this will happen in the
background and you will never need to be aware.
Interestingly, the Save All command (hold down shift while clicking the File
menu to access it) also saves Normal, because, as I said, it's effectively
an invisible document open in the background.
