Word 2004 overriding global prefs

[Margolotta]

Okay.. PMG5 running 10.4.6. I have a problem with the default page setup
settings in two limited user accounts (my own, admin account, is fine).

As I am in the UK, the global default paper size is set to A4. All
applications respect this - bar Word. Every time it's fired up, and a new
document selected, the paper size is always US Letter. This does NOT affect
any other Office application. I have tried trashing prefs - I've even removed
(using the supplied removal tool) and reinstalled Office.

My mother uses Word extensively as she works at home a good deal. She
wouldn't know to set the paper size to A4 each time and, obviously, I cannot
always be around to do it for her. How do I persuade it to behave under the
two limited accounts? I have checked the global printer settings under both
accounts and they are both set to A4.

She has work to do today and this really needs fixing...

I don't use it much myself and there was an update not so long ago, which I
have just installed.

Could some one tell me what's broken and, more pertinently, how the bleedin'
Hades I fix the ruddy thing?!

Thanks

 

[Peter Ceresole]

My mother uses Word extensively as she works at home a good deal. She
wouldn't know to set the paper size to A4 each time and, obviously, I cannot
always be around to do it for her. How do I persuade it to behave under the
two limited accounts? I have checked the global printer settings under both
accounts and they are both set to A4.

Is there a default document template that she is using that is set to US
paper size?

 

[Chris Ridd]

Is there a default document template that she is using that is set to US
paper size?

Normally (sic) you would create a new document, go to Format > Document,
then hit the "Page Setup" button there (and set the page size in the Page
Setup dialog, and hit OK) and then hit the "Default..." button back in the
Word dialog.

That will save your desired page size in the normal template that Word uses
for every new document.

Cheers,

Chris

 

[kll454]

Why are you crossposting? STFW. If you do, you will find plenty on the
subject. Lazy fuckwit.

 

[Margolotta]

Normally (sic) you would create a new document, go to Format > Document,
then hit the "Page Setup" button there (and set the page size in the Page
Setup dialog, and hit OK) and then hit the "Default..." button back in the
Word dialog.

That will save your desired page size in the normal template that Word uses
for every new document.

Cheers,

Chris

Except, Chris, it sodding well doesn't! I was up all night trying to fix this
- I trashed the normal.dot at least a dozen times and recreated it - only to
find it was US letter when I restarted Word. For some reason (and this
shouldn't surprise me as it's a MS application we're talking about) it's now
working fine under my father's account with no intervention from me. The
thing is, he uses it once a flood - Mother uses it at least three times a
week, so it's more pertinent that her prefs are correct.

You want to know what's even weirder? If I start Word from normal.dot, it's
fine (i.e. the page size is A4). However, if I start Word from the Dock (she
has an icon to both Word and Excel on her Dock) it opens US Letter and ditto
if I use the icon directly in the Office folder. So could someone please
explain, in words of one syllabub (as Stanley Unwin used to say) where the
setting is being changed? Normal.dot is the global template so why isn't it
being used when firing up Word?!

Sorry if I sound crabby, but I've had *very* little sleep...

Cheers for any more clues

Sarah

 

[Margolotta]

Is there a default document template that she is using that is set to US
paper size?

Peter,

Thanks for the suggestion, but she would have the foggiest how to set one up
- she's a complete technophobe. All she understands is that Word opens and
you type. That's about the limits of her 'technical' knowledge. She doesn't
even understand basic keyboard shortcuts (apple+S for save, apple+p for print
and apple+b for bold, for example) she's forever using the mouse and I cannot
bear to watch her as it looks so clumsy and awkward. She would up her
productivity by at least 25% if she learnt basic keyboard commands. The rare
occasions I use Word, my hands rarely leave the keys as it just seems so
unnatural to use the mouse for something that can be easily accomplished by
using the keyboard. I've even taped a table above the monitor with a list of
basic commands, but she still hasn't cottoned on.

Cheers for the suggestion, though.

Sarah

 

[Chris Ridd]

You want to know what's even weirder? If I start Word from normal.dot, it's
fine (i.e. the page size is A4). However, if I start Word from the Dock (she

OK, that's useful to know. I note that my normal template's just called
"Normal" with no (hidden or otherwise) extension.

has an icon to both Word and Excel on her Dock) it opens US Letter and ditto
if I use the icon directly in the Office folder. So could someone please

That's odd, because I open my copy from the Dock too.

I'm in the administrator group. Perhaps that makes a difference? (It better
not, but if you want to explore all avenues...)

If that doesn't help you'll need to wait for Elliott (or another Word
expert) to drop by!

Cheers,

Chris

 

[Peter Ceresole]

That's odd, because I open my copy from the Dock too.

I open mine from an alias to the application and it starts up offering
A4 too. And the template file seems to be 'Normal'- no extension- in
Me->Documents->Microsoft User Data.

 

[daiya.mitchell]

You want to know what's even weirder? If I start Word from normal.dot, it's

fine (i.e. the page size is A4). However, if I start Word from the Dock (she
has an icon to both Word and Excel on her Dock) it opens US Letter and ditto
if I use the icon directly in the Office folder. So could someone please
explain, in words of one syllabub (as Stanley Unwin used to say) where the
setting is being changed? Normal.dot is the global template so why isn't it
being used when firing up Word?!

Because MacWord doesn't use an extension for Normal. So it will *not*
recognize something called Normal.dot as Normal. Did you manually
create Normal.dot by saving a template under that name? Don't. Always
let Word create Normal.

So, quit Word. Move anything that seems to be Normal or Normal.dot to
the desktop. Relaunch Word (it will create a fresh Normal on launch).
Use Chris's advice to change Page Setup to A4 and click Default. This
should make the change to Normal. Hold down Shift and click File |
Save All to force Normal to save the change immediately. Word should
now have created and saved a fresh Normal in ~/Documents/Microsoft User
Data.

Quit Word and relaunch from the Dock to test. If you get a message
about saving changes to Normal when you quit, say yes.

If that didn't work, then *don't* try to create a Normal. Instead,
find the Normal that Word is using, open it up, and make the change to
Page Setup, then space backspace to force Word to realize it needs to
be saved, save, quit, test from the Dock.

I assume that you have not changed the preferences from the default
location for Normal, which is in the MS User Data folder. If you did,
then find the Normal in that location.

hope that helps,
Daiya