Normal template save

[Dave]

I've read Word:mac and these posts, but find nothing posted like seems
to be happening. So is it unusual, and is there a fix? When I close
Word, even without a change, Normal saves. In other words, Normal
always saves, change or not. Thanks --Dave

 

[little_creature]

Hi dave there's a up to date post for your topic. Kindly see Word Normal
template change from about 9.1.2007
http://groups.google.com/groups/search?q=dc388f88b239dbd2
With a link how to bend word to your will.
Hope this will help, if not, post back.

 

[John McGhie [MVP - Word and Word Macintosh]]

Hi Dave:

Word>Preferences>Save... "Prompt to save Normal template"

If that is switched off, Normal will save automatically anytime it wants to
without prompting you.

That's the way I run it these days (BUT!!! I make sure I have a
working backup of Normal at all times: mine contains hundreds of thousands
of dollars worth of programming effort in the macros...)

Cheers

I've read Word:mac and these posts, but find nothing posted like seems
to be happening. So is it unusual, and is there a fix? When I close
Word, even without a change, Normal saves. In other words, Normal
always saves, change or not. Thanks --Dave

--

Please reply to the newsgroup to maintain the thread. Please do not email
me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie <[email protected]>
Microsoft MVP, Word and Word for Macintosh. Business Analyst, Consultant
Technical Writer.
Sydney, Australia +61 (0) 4 1209 1410

 

[Clive Huggan]

If you read the detail on the posts Little Creature gave, Dave, you'll see
the subtleties as Elliott described. Essentially it depends on whether or
not you want extremely dark sunglasses (well, old-fashioned welding mask
really -- the ones that let in no light at all). I prefer to leave it on --
but I want to stay aware of what is happening. As John McGhie said once:

Microsoft Word is like a pimply teenager that wears its hat backwards and
plays music too loudly. One of you is going to be in charge. Your life will
improve a lot if you decide that it¹s going to be you.

Even though "Prompt to save Normal template" is irritating, in "Bend Word to
Your Will" (http://word.mvps.org/Mac/Bend/BendWordToYourWill.html) I
recommend this as an initial setting, till its significance becomes evident,
since it may well alert you to something that would otherwise go undetected.
I¹m often glad of the opportunity to say "no" if I have botched up something
I've changed. (If I change a style definition or AutoCorrect item I jot a
note to myself that I¹m going to be prompted, because it may be several days
before I next quit Word.)

But ultimately, it doesn¹t matter much, does it? ‹ because you will have
recently backed up your Normal template, won¹t you? (That's the main factor
that makes John make his recommendation.) ;-)

Now, having said all that: Do you really mean that if you open a blank new
document in Word and immediately close it, you get that prompt? That isn't
expected behaviour. Please post back with details of OS + version of Word
including updates + model of Mac -- and an explicit description of the exact
problem.

Cheers,

Clive Huggan
Canberra, Australia
(My time zone is 5-11 hours different from the US and Europe, so my
follow-on responses to those regions can be delayed)
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[JE McGimpsey]

As John McGhie said once:

Microsoft Word is like a pimply teenager that wears its hat backwards and
plays music too loudly. One of you is going to be in charge. Your life will
improve a lot if you decide that it¹s going to be you.

And just for an alternative view...

Since I decided that I like to be in charge:

3) I ALWAYS start Word from an Automator app that first *trashes*
Normal, then launches Word. That way my "scratchpad" is never more than
one session old. I don't care if it's saved when I quit Word, 'cause
it'll never be seen again.

2) I NEVER use Normal as a document template. I have dozens of templates
for my work and non-work use. Each one with customized styles, autotext,
macros, etc. Each document template creates a custom toolbar with all
(and only) the styles applicable to that template. All my templates are
stored in my Microsoft User Data folder so that I won't lose them if I
have to reinstall Office (but I haven't had to for years now).

3) I put all my general macros in global templates/add-ins, including my
startup macro which sets every preference, disables and hides the
Standard toolbar and main menu, creates a new main menu and new custom
toolbars, and establishes application events that automatically size,
position, and zoom every document that I open. Unlike Normal, which Word
uses as a scratch pad, I've never had a global template get corrupted.

4) To ease the editing of my add-ins, each add-in attaches itself to an
Add-in menu that I create with my startup macro. That way editing the
add-in is never more than a click away.

My method certainly isn't for everyone, but it ensures that Word works
to *my* specifications.

 

[Phillip Jones]

If its that expensive to lose the Normal template I would be afraid to
even use it until the point I need it.

I would move this to another file or rewritable CD/DVD then create a new
every day version that if bombs out is no big deal. Then I switch it as
needed.

Hi Dave:

Word>Preferences>Save... "Prompt to save Normal template"

If that is switched off, Normal will save automatically anytime it wants to
without prompting you.

That's the way I run it these days (BUT!!! I make sure I have a
working backup of Normal at all times: mine contains hundreds of thousands
of dollars worth of programming effort in the macros...)

Cheers

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[John McGhie [MVP - Word and Word Macintosh]]

Hi Phillip:

You are absolutely correct: I *SHOULD* be doing what John McGimpsey does
and carefully organise things into templates.

But on Mac Word it's such a PITA trying to use templates properly since
Microsoft broke the mechanism, it's just a lot simpler to pile everything
into Normal template.

Normal template is a lot more reliable than it used to be: I only lose it
once every year or so, and I really hammer it.

However, I *do* back it up every time I make an important change.

But you're right: I should do what I say, not as I do...

Cheers

If its that expensive to lose the Normal template I would be afraid to
even use it until the point I need it.

I would move this to another file or rewritable CD/DVD then create a new
every day version that if bombs out is no big deal. Then I switch it as
needed.

--

Please reply to the newsgroup to maintain the thread. Please do not email
me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie <[email protected]>
Microsoft MVP, Word and Word for Macintosh. Business Analyst, Consultant
Technical Writer.
Sydney, Australia +61 (0) 4 1209 1410

 

[Dave]

Thanks for all your posts, everyone! Yes, I just opened a new document,
immediately closed it, and Normal saved. I'm using Tiger updated,
permissions updated, with Word 2004 updated on a Powermac 1.25 Dual
with a gig of memory. This behavior is relatively new and No, I haven't
backed up my Normal because naively I haven't had a use for
customization or macros. Will have to reinstall to get back to original
Normal.

 

[CyberTaz]

Will have to reinstall to get back to original
Normal.

**NO you won't**

In fact, reinstalling will *not* even create a new Normal unless you
completely uninstall Office _first_ using the Remove Office Tool utility...
Which is totally unnecessary. You'll also have to reinstall all your updates
afterward & may have other complications or inconveniences to deal with.

I suggest you wait for a reply from Clive, John McGimpsey or John McGhie as
they have been following the thread all along, but you may have to do
nothing more than remove/rename your existing Normal & launch Word to have
it generate a new one. If you're too impatient to wait for their reply,
spend your time reading this rather than wasting it with a reinstall:

http://word.mvps.org/Mac/TroubleshootingIndex.html

Begin with items in "The Basics" followed by those in "General
Troubleshooting" one after the other in the order listed & check back
periodically as you go

Reinstalling apps on the Mac is *rarely* a solution to anything other than
having more time on your hands than you know what to do with and you're
finally bored by watching your grass grow.

Good Luck |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[JE McGimpsey]

In fact, reinstalling will *not* even create a new Normal unless you
completely uninstall Office _first_ using the Remove Office Tool utility...
Which is totally unnecessary. You'll also have to reinstall all your updates
afterward & may have other complications or inconveniences to deal with.

Even using Remove Office won't create a new Normal, because Remove
Office doesn't touch your Microsoft User Data folder, where Normal lives.

Simply trash Normal (with Word closed) and restart Word.

Reinstalling apps on the Mac is *rarely* a solution to anything
Amen.

other than having more time on your hands than you know what to do
with and you're finally bored by watching your grass grow.

Hmmm... that's not an issue for me for at least another few months...