Getting the Scoop on Word s Normal Template

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Getting the Scoop on Word's Normal Template

No matter what template you use to format a specific document, the Normal global template is always open. Normal.dot is stored in the \%UserProfile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates folder by default. Whenever you start Word, it automatically looks for the Normal template in the location specified in the File Locations tab in the Options dialog box. (You display this dialog box by choosing Tools, Options.)

Cross-Reference 

For more information about changing the default location of template files, see Chapter 5, "Customizing Word and Enhancing Accessibility."

The Normal template contains default styles and built-in AutoText entries (but no boilerplate text) that are automatically available whenever you create new, blank documents. As you work in a document, any styles, AutoText entries, macros, toolbars, or other customizations you save are stored in the Normal template unless you specify otherwise. In addition, you can modify the Normal template to change the default document formatting in Word. As you can imagine, the longer you work with Word, the more customized your Normal.dot file can become.

If the Normal template is damaged, moved, missing, or renamed, Word creates a new Normal template the next time you start Word, which is based on the default settings. This automatically generated Normal template won't include any customizations you've made to a previous version of Normal.dot. Of course, you can intentionally rename your Normal template to force Word to create a new Normal template. If you do this, Word will create a fresh Normal template, and then you can copy selected components from the renamed template into the newly generated Normal template by using the Organizer, as described in "Renaming, Deleting, and Copying Styles Using the Organizer,". To rename the Normal template after you've altered the default template by adding customizations, close Word, then display the Normal.dot template in the the \%UserProfile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates folder, right-click the Normal template, choose Rename, and enter a new name for the template. The next time you open a new blank document in Word, the document will be based on the standard Normal.dot template without any custom settings.

Troubleshooting: I can't find the Normal template in the templates folder

After you rename or delete the Normal template from the Templates folder, you won't see the Normal.dot file in the Templates folder at first. Word will continue to open using the default Normal.dot template, but the file won't appear in the Templates folder until you customize the Normal template by adding a style, toolbar, macro, or other customization, or close Word.

Caution 

Because the Normal template is so necessary and so widely used, it's often the first target of macro virus authors. Therefore, if you work with a highly customized Normal template, you might want to back up your system's Normal.dot file every few weeks. If you don't need to change your Normal.dot file on a regular basis, you can provide added security by making the Normal template read-only. Making your Normal template read-only protects it from virus attacks that attempt to overwrite or add information to Normal.dot files.

Troubleshooting: Word crashes during startup-could the Normal template be corrupted?

If Word crashes during startup, you can use a switch to quickly determine whether the problem is due to a damaged Registry entry or a corrupt Normal.dot file. To get to the root of the problem, try opening Winword.exe using the /a switch (see Table 16-1 for all Word startup switches). When you use the /a switch, Word opens but prevents add-ins and global templates (including Normal.dot) from loading automatically. To start the Winword program without loading add-ins and global templates, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then choose Run.

2. In the Run dialog box, type "c:\program files\microsoft office\office11\ winword.exe" /a (or replace the text in quotation marks with a different path if you installed Word elsewhere) in the Open box, and then click OK.

If Word opens properly using this method, you can deduce that you have a damaged Registry or a corrupt Normal.dot file. To test whether the Normal.dot file is the culprit, use Microsoft Windows Explorer to find and rename the Normal.dot file, and then attempt to start Word normally. If Word starts, a new Normal.dot file will be created, and you can use the Organizer to copy any components you need from the renamed file into the newly created Normal.dot file.

If Word still doesn't start properly after you rename your existing Normal.dot file, you probably have a damaged Registry. You can try to correct this problem by opening Word using the Run dialog box (as described previously) and choosing Help, Detect And Repair from the Word Help menu. Alternatively, you can run the Microsoft Windows Installer. To do so, choose Start, Settings, Control Panel. In Control Panel, double-click Add Or Remove Programs, select Microsoft Office or Microsoft Word in the Currently Installed Programs list of the Add Or Remove Programs dialog box, and then click Change. In the setup dialog box, choose the Reinstall Or Repair option to restore your original Word files and Registry settings.

Table 16-1: Word Startup Switches

Switch	Result
/a	Word starts but prevents add-ins and global templates (including the Normal.dot template) from loading automatically.
/laddinpath	Word starts and then loads the specified add-in.
/m	Word starts without running any AutoExec macros. You can also suppress macros during startup without using a switch by pressing Shift while you start Word.
/mmacroname	Word starts, and then runs the specified macro.
/n	A new instance of Word starts without an open document. Documents opened in each instance of Word will not be listed in the Window menu in other instances.
/pxslt	Word starts and opens a new XML document based on the specified Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XSLT).
/safe	Word starts in Office Safe Mode.
/tttemplatename	Word starts and opens a new document based on a template other than the Normal template.
/w	A new instance of Word starts with a new blank document. Documents opened in each instance of Word will not be listed in the Window menu in other instances.

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