The default font in all my documents is too small to read. I can zoom in, but I shouldn't need to. Anyway, I want to use Arial as the default font.
It's easy to bend Word to your will. Start a new, blank document, choose Format Font, select the font and size that suit you, click the Default button, and then click Yes in the confirmation dialog box to update the Normal template.
Okay, so I've fixed the default font. That's an improvementbut there's a long way to go. What about getting Word to start with the view and the zoom I prefer?
Your wish is my commandwell, this time:
Open Normal.dot . To find Normal.dot , choose Tools Options, click the File Locations tab, and check the " User templates readout. (The default location is the %userprofile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates folder.) Open this folder in a Windows Explorer window, right-click Normal.dot , and choose Open from the shortcut menu.
Set the view and zoom you want.
Choose File Save, and then choose File Close.
Word uses 1.25" margins in case you want to write a letter. (Yes, this is apparently true.)
To change the default margins:
Open a document based on Normal.dot . You can do so by simply starting Word ( assuming you're using a normal startup) and choosing File New Blank Document, or by clicking the New Blank Document button on the Standard toolbar.
Set the margins you want.
If necessary, choose paper settings on the Paper tab or layout settings (such as the header or footer position) on the Layout tab. In Word 2000, the relevant tab is called Paper Size; there's also a Paper Source tab.
Click the Default button, and then click the Yes button in the confirmation dialog box (see Figure 4-1).