Where is the "Normal" file in Word 2007?

[LA Lawyer]

I want to be able to copy the normal.doc (or whatever it is now called) in
Word 2007 so that my desktop and laptop are using the same Word setup.

I searched for "normal" (with Word closed, of course) and came up with
nothing.

What is the name of the file and where is it located?

 

[Jay Freedman]

The name of the file is normal.dotm (the "m" indicates that it's able to
store macros).

It's stored in the folder identified as the User Templates location in the
Office button > Word Options > Advanced > File Locations dialog. Because
that dialog is too narrow to show the full path, it's better to go to Office
button > Word Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Trusted
Locations where you can see the whole thing.

The default location on Windows XP is
C:\Documents and Settings\<your name>\Application
Data\Microsoft\Templates
while on Vista it's
C:\Users\<your name>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates
In either case it's a hidden folder, but you can get there quickly by
entering
%appdata%\Microsoft\Templates
in the address bar of the Windows Explorer ("My Computer" or "Computer")
program and pressing Enter.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[IDontBelieveIt]

Sorry to but in but would there not be a problem trying to install the
copied file? I seem to remember reading something on the MS website that
suggests the 'recipient' normal.dotm file would not accept being written
over or being deleted - ie it would automatically be replaced by an
auto-generateed copy of the original.

Cheers,
John (IDontBelieveIt)
(To reply to me only, omit the"z")


copied to y

 

[Lene Fredborg]

If Word does not find a Normal.dot(m) file in the folder specified as the
user templates folder, Word will automatically create a new Normal.dot(m). In
the new Normal.dot(m), several options will be set back to their default
settings and the file will not contain any custom toolbars, macros or
AutoText entries. So if you by "an auto-generateed copy of the original" mean
that Word will create a copy of a Normal.dot(m) customized by the user, that
is not the case.

You can copy a Normal.dot(m) from one computer and use it on another
computer if you wish, provided the Normal.dot(m) you copy was originally
created by Word. What you cannot do is to create a new document and save it
as a template with the name "Normal.dot(m)". Word does not prevent you from
doing so but the file will not work correctly. Only Word can create a
Norma.dot(m).


--
Regards
Lene Fredborg - Microsoft MVP (Word)
DocTools - Denmark
www.thedoctools.com
Document automation - add-ins, macros and templates for Microsoft Word

 

[IDontBelieveIt]

Thanks for the info Lene ....

So, instead of simply being able to copy my 'tailored' Normal.dot(m) from my
Desktop to my Laptop, I will have to tailor the Laptop's Normal.dot(m).
What a nuisance!

Cheers,
John (IDontBelieveIt)
(To reply to me only, omit the"z")

 

[Jay Freedman]

No, you got that completely backwards. You _can_ copy the Normal.dotm from one
computer and use it to replace the Normal.dotm on another computer. The only
requirements are (a) as Lene said, it must be a Normal.dotm created by Word, not
some other document or template that you just renamed as "Normal.dotm", and (b)
on the laptop, at the time you paste in the Normal.dotm from the desktop, Word
must not be running (otherwise Windows will complain that the file is in use).

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so all
may benefit.

 

[IDontBelieveIt]

Oh Jay - what wonderful news! Thank you so much - this will save me hours
of work

Best wishes
John (IDontBelieveIt)
(To reply to me only, omit the"z")