un-disable features introduced after Word 95 / 6.0

[The Alpine Haddock]

Microsoft Word has in the Tools -> Options dialogue box an annoying little
checkbox to disable features introduced after Word 6.0/95 or Word 97. I do
not wish this to be checked. Easy enough, you think?

No matter how many times I uncheck this box (including ensuring that it is
also unchecked in Normal.dot) it keeps rechecking itself and then not letting
me (eg) align text within a table, or save hyperlinks. And if it's in a
document that already has these features, it waits until I exit and then says
that some things won't be saved because they're not compatible with Word 6!

When I turn it off it goes away for the immediate session of Word, possibly
for the next one but then comes back. I am going slowly insane.

Does anybody know of a way of completely and irrevocably turning this option
off?

 

[Graham Mayor]

Add the line
ActiveDocument.DisableFeatures = False
to an autonew and an autoopen macro in normal.dot - see
http://www.gmayor.com/installing_macro.htm
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

You might need to rebuild the Word Data key in the Registry; see
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/MissingMenusEtc.htm for instructions.

 

[Graham Mayor]

The macro resets it for every new and opened document, so there is no reason
why it shouldn't work ?

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[The Alpine Haddock]

I don't know why it shouldn't work - it was doing so yesterday when I made
the reply (based on a world-weary cynicism), but this morning I've just
created a new blank document and the checkbox is ticked. I have checked the
Normal.dot template and the macros are both still there. This left me with
two documents open (the blank and Normal). Normal had opened with no tick in
the box, the blank document still has it. I have made sure that there is only
one copy of Normal on the machine so it shouldn't be looking anywhere else.

 

[Graham Mayor]

Does running the macro from tools > macros unset it?

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[The Alpine Haddock]

Nope. And what's more, tools > macros showed me the Autoopen, but not the
Autonew. Most confusing :-s Is being on a network likely to be an issue?
Normal is on the C: drive, and is the only version on it, but could it be
pulling one in from a network drive somewhere? My IT department don't seem to
have any ideas, and didn't seem to think the issue should be as deep as the
registry, as suggested in the post below.

 

[Graham Mayor]

This setting as Suzanne has sugegsted, is stored in the registry, in the
Word data > settings sub key (see
http://www.gmayor.com/my_toolbars_are_missing.htm which shows how to locate
it). Renaming or deleting that key will revert a lot of settings to
defaults. By removing any corruption in your registry key, this *may*
correct the problem, but you will have to restore all your preferences and
the problem may return. The macros write the correct setting for each
document whether new or existing.

If you are not showing autonew in your macros list, you have no autonew
macro. Open the macro editor and examine your code. It should show at least:

Sub AutoNew()
ActiveDocument.DisableFeatures = False
End Sub

Sub AutoOpen()
ActiveDocument.DisableFeatures = False
End Sub

Checkout http://www.gmayor.com/what_to_do_when_word_crashes.htm also. Orphan
temp files cause lots of minor problems.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[The Alpine Haddock]

OK, I've deleted Normal, recreated it and pasted the code into a new module.
I have no idea why autonew was not in the macro list because when I checked
the previous Normal prior to deleting it, it was definitely in there. However
it now shows up in the macros list so is definitely there.

Thanks for your time and effort.

 

[The Alpine Haddock]

Just when I thought it was safe to go back into the water...

I just opened an existing document, made some edits and was told not
compatible with Word 97.

I have yet again checked that the macros are there, both by entering the
Normal.dot in c:/documents & settings/etc and by looking in the tools >
macros popup. When I then run any of them from there, they work and untick
the box.

Is it possible that something else can override the autoopen? Possibly other
software or a Normal elsewhere on the network?

 

[Graham Mayor]

I really have no idea what the problem is now - though it is entirely
possible for third party add-ins to screw things up.
normal.dot should be in the folder defined at tools > options > file
locations > user templates - and nowhere else Word has access to.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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