Toolbar Control

[David Sabdt]

I notice that the last toolbars shown with a document or
spreadsheet re-appear when that document or spreadsheet is
re-opened. (This has become a problem...obviously a
personal problem, for me with all the shared documents
within my department.) I want my toolbar configuration to
be the same when opening a document regardless of the
toolbars that were open with the document when it was last
used. This appears to be a problem for me only with my
acquisition recently of a new PC equipped with Windows
2000; the programs didn't work this way with my previous
PC equipped, I think, with the same versions of software.

 

[Shauna Kelly]

Hi David

To solve your problem, you're going to have to figure out where these toolbars are saved.

Toolbars can be saved in one of three places:
(a) a document -- so that whenever you open that document, toolbars saved in that document will be visible

(b) a template on which a document is based -- so that whenever you open any document that was based on that template, then the
toolbars in the template will appear

(c) a template that is used as an AddIn. Some add-ins are stored in Word's startup directory and are thus loaded whenever Word
starts (and they will be listed at Tools > Templates and Add-Ins). And, add-ins can be loaded manually through Tools > Templates and
Add-Ins. When an add-in is loaded, any toolbars in that add-in are visible.

You can see what toolbars are saved in what files by using Tools > Templates and Add-Ins and clicking the Organizer button. You can
use this to open and close files, and use the Toolbars tab to see what toolbars are saved in what files.

And, if you're creating or changing toolbars, use Tools > Customize. On the Commands tab, pay attention to the Save In box. That's
where any toolbar changes will be saved.

Hope this helps.

Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word
Melbourne, Australia

 

[Dave Neve]

Hi

As you seem to be at home on this point, could you tell me the difference
between doc 1 and normal template which both figure in the Window that you
mention

I've always thought that 'normal' creates 'doc 1' and so there is no real
difference

Thanks in advance

 

[Shauna Kelly]

Hi Dave

Normal.dot is a template. One use of templates is as a basis from which to create a new document. If you choose File > New and
choose "Blank Document", then Word will create a new document for you based on Normal.dot. That is to say that your new document
will inherit all the styles, and a few other things, from its parent, Normal.dot. There are, however, some things that only a
template can store (notably AutoTexts). So the AutoTexts in Normal.dot are *not* inherited by the child document.

When you do File > New to create a new document (based on any template), Word does not create a file (well, not one that's any use
to you or me!). Presumably because the makers of Word couldn't bear to leave the top bar of the window blank, they fill it up with
the text "Document 1". But there is no "Document 1.dot" file saved on your machine at that point. The top bar of the window will say
"Document 1" until you save your document to a file. Then, the bar will display the name of your document (eg "October Report.doc").
I suppose you could save your document as "Document 1.doc", but if you do, you must have an interesting way of remembering the
content of each document!

Now, let's bring those two ideas together. (Unless you tell it otherwise), every time Word opens, it does the equivalent of File >
New and chooses Blank Document. And, of course, since no other un-named document is about, it labels it "Document 1".

So, "Document 1" is an un-saved document that exists only in memory. The one that appears when you first start Word is (unless you
told Word otherwise) based on normal.dot. But templates aren't the same thing as a document, and the best description around of what
is stored in a template is at

What do Templates and Add-ins store?
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Customization/WhatTemplatesStore.htm

In the case in point, let's say you want to create a new toolbar (or some other customization). If, at Tools > Customize in the Save
In box, you choose Document 1, then the customization will be created within that document (which you might, of course, later save
as "October Report.doc"). If, however, you choose Normal.dot, then that customization will be created in Normal.dot. And a
customization in Normal.dot will be available to every document.

If the box at Tools > Options > Save > Prompt to save Normal.dot is ticked (and I'd recommend that it should be ticked) then, if
you've put a customization into Normal.dot, you'll be asked when exiting Word whether you want to save those changes to Normal.dot.
Hope this helps.

Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word
Melbourne, Australia

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

To add to what Shauna has said, if you store the customization in Document 1
and then *don't* save Document 1, the customization will be lost. Even if
you do save it, it will be available only to that document.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://www.mvps.org/word
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

Hi Dave

Normal.dot is a template. One use of templates is as a basis from which to

create a new document. If you choose File > New and

choose "Blank Document", then Word will create a new document for you

based on Normal.dot. That is to say that your new document

will inherit all the styles, and a few other things, from its parent,

Normal.dot. There are, however, some things that only a

template can store (notably AutoTexts). So the AutoTexts in Normal.dot are

*not* inherited by the child document.

When you do File > New to create a new document (based on any template),

Word does not create a file (well, not one that's any use

to you or me!). Presumably because the makers of Word couldn't bear to

leave the top bar of the window blank, they fill it up with

the text "Document 1". But there is no "Document 1.dot" file saved on your

machine at that point. The top bar of the window will say

"Document 1" until you save your document to a file. Then, the bar will

display the name of your document (eg "October Report.doc").

I suppose you could save your document as "Document 1.doc", but if you do,

you must have an interesting way of remembering the

content of each document!

Now, let's bring those two ideas together. (Unless you tell it otherwise),

every time Word opens, it does the equivalent of File >

New and chooses Blank Document. And, of course, since no other un-named

document is about, it labels it "Document 1".

So, "Document 1" is an un-saved document that exists only in memory. The

one that appears when you first start Word is (unless you

told Word otherwise) based on normal.dot. But templates aren't the same

thing as a document, and the best description around of what

is stored in a template is at

What do Templates and Add-ins store?
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Customization/WhatTemplatesStore.htm

In the case in point, let's say you want to create a new toolbar (or some

other customization). If, at Tools > Customize in the Save

In box, you choose Document 1, then the customization will be created

within that document (which you might, of course, later save

as "October Report.doc"). If, however, you choose Normal.dot, then that

customization will be created in Normal.dot. And a

customization in Normal.dot will be available to every document.

If the box at Tools > Options > Save > Prompt to save Normal.dot is ticked

(and I'd recommend that it should be ticked) then, if

you've put a customization into Normal.dot, you'll be asked when exiting

Word whether you want to save those changes to Normal.dot.

 

[Dave]

Thanks, Shauna. It appears there is no way to force Word
or Excel to maintain open only the Standard and Formatting
toolbars regardless of the ones that were open on a
previously saved file. Thanks for the reply.
David

-----Original Message-----
Hi David

To solve your problem, you're going to have to figure out

where these toolbars are saved.

Toolbars can be saved in one of three places:
(a) a document -- so that whenever you open that

document, toolbars saved in that document will be visible

(b) a template on which a document is based -- so that

whenever you open any document that was based on that
template, then the

toolbars in the template will appear

(c) a template that is used as an AddIn. Some add-ins are

stored in Word's startup directory and are thus loaded
whenever Word

starts (and they will be listed at Tools > Templates and

Add-Ins). And, add-ins can be loaded manually through
Tools > Templates and

Add-Ins. When an add-in is loaded, any toolbars in that add-in are visible.

You can see what toolbars are saved in what files by

using Tools > Templates and Add-Ins and clicking the
Organizer button. You can

use this to open and close files, and use the Toolbars

tab to see what toolbars are saved in what files.

And, if you're creating or changing toolbars, use Tools >

Customize. On the Commands tab, pay attention to the Save
In box. That's