Unable to modify 'word Options'

[Icono410]

Using my Administrator UserID I only have access to the 'Customize' selection
in the 'Word Options' menu. I need to update the 'Add-Ins' selection to
include PDFMaker and Adobe Contribute. These Add-Ins were present and
working a couple of weeks ago. I have tried re-installing Word but am still
locked into the 'Customize' selection only. Strangely, a new 'standard'
(non-administrator) UserID I had just created last week shows 'Acrobat' on
the quick access toolbar and I have full access to all selections in the
'Word Options' menu. CRAZY!! What happened!? A solution to this problem
would be greatly appriciated!

Thanks

 

[Jay Freedman]

Using my Administrator UserID I only have access to the 'Customize' selection
in the 'Word Options' menu. I need to update the 'Add-Ins' selection to
include PDFMaker and Adobe Contribute. These Add-Ins were present and
working a couple of weeks ago. I have tried re-installing Word but am still
locked into the 'Customize' selection only. Strangely, a new 'standard'
(non-administrator) UserID I had just created last week shows 'Acrobat' on
the quick access toolbar and I have full access to all selections in the
'Word Options' menu. CRAZY!! What happened!? A solution to this problem
would be greatly appriciated!

Thanks

What happened is damage to a registry key in the Administrator's profile.

First read http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/MissingMenusEtc.htm for
background. Read all the way to the end; it's all important.

Find and delete the key

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Word\Data

and then restart Word. It will build a new key from the defaults.

 

[Icono410]

Jay,

Thanks very much for taking your time to resolve my problem. I'm using
word 2007 running on a Vista machine. As per the very informative article
simply starting Word with the switcg (/a) reset my settings and resolved my
problem... I did not have to delete the registry key. Have a great remainder
of of the weekend!!

D. Jones

 

[Jay Freedman]

Hi D,

Sorry to say, using the /a switch is just a troubleshooting tool. It is _not_
the solution to anything! It forces Word to start while ignoring its registry
entries, preventing any add-ins from loading, and not using anything in the
Normal.dotm template. In other words, if you make any customizations, style
changes, macros, etc., they won't be used the next time you start Word with the
/a switch.

Furthermore, if you start Word without the /a switch at some point in the
future, the damaged Data key will still be there and will cause the same
problem. You haven't solved a thing!

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Note, Jay, that, as the article says, sometimes just starting Word with the
/a switch once seems to give the Registry a kick in the pants and solve the
problem without need for further steps (even though Word is started normally
thenceforward). I could be wrong, but I think this is what D was referring
to.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Jay Freedman]

It does say that, but it goes on to say "Such problems appear to be strictly
limited to bad settings in the Toolbars value, and the toolbar settings have to
be completely out of the range of “acceptable” values for this self-repair
procedure to be triggered; so mild corruption would not usually be fixed by it."

I don't know what this means in the context of Word 2007, but I'd want some
confirmation from MS that the /a switch causes any checking of the Data key
there. Even if it does, there's still the question of whether the (still
unknown) cause of D's problem would trigger the repair utility.

My point is just that one should not continue to use the /a switch for starting
Word, thinking that the problem is "solved". I don't know whether that's the
case here, but the article doesn't have a specific statement against it.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Indeed, it is always worthwhile to remind people that starting with the /a
switch is not meant to be a permanent fix.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Icono410]

Suzanne,

I was having multiple problems, most frustrating was my inability to
tab to or select any options in the 'Word Options Menu' other than
'Customize.' I hastly started Word with the switch option and it gave me
back access to all options in the 'Word Options Menu.' It was at this point
that I replied that all my problems had been resolved, thinking I could
configure word to my normal configuration. Jay was correct, my changes
disappeared as soon as I restarted Word. As you might see in my reply to
Jay, once I deleted registry entries, all problems are resolved. Thank you
for intrest in this matter Suzanne!

Drake Jones