WD95: Where Settings Are Stored in the Registry (135872)

MORE INFORMATION

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall Windows 95. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the Changing Keys And Values online Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe). Note that you should make a backup copy of the registry files (System.dat and User.dat) before you edit the registry.

MAIN LOCATIONS OF WORD SETTINGS

Most settings in Word are stored in:

   \\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Word\7.0

Changes made to the above key are mirrored in:

   \\HKEY_USERS\Default\Software\Microsoft\Word\7.0

The difference between the two locations is that first one applies only to the current user of the system, and the other is the default for all users. However, Word entries are the same for both so any change made to one is automatically reflected in the other.

For the remainder of this article, all references to the \\HKEY_CURRENT_USER key apply also to the \\HKEY_USERS key, except where noted.

SETTINGS IN HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\WORD\7.0

The settings that you may need to examine during troubleshooting are located in this key. The Data key and the Options key are the most frequently changed areas.

Data Key

Path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Word\7.0\Data

The Word for Windows 95 equivalent to the Word 6.0 Winword.opt file is the Data key. This key contains binary information for MRU lists, including the MRU file list and the MRU address book list. The Data key also contains the same information as that which was stored in the Winword.opt file in Word for Windows 6.0x, such as Revision settings and Edit settings.

Options Key

Path: \\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Word\7.0\Options

This key stores those options that the user can set from Word, either by changing menu options or by running the RegOptions macro. These are the "editable" options.

The settings here fall into two groups: default settings and optional settings. Default settings are established during Setup and the user can change them by modifying options in Word. Optional settings are not created during Setup; to add them you must run the RegOptions macro.

The default settings located here are:

         AutoSpell      Turns Automatic Spell on or off

         DOC-PATH       Sets the default folder for Word documents

         NoEditTime     Turns on and off recording of edit time in
                        statistics

         PICTURE-PATH   Sets the path for clip art

         PROGRAMDIR     Sets the program folder

         STARTUP-PATH   Sets the path for startup folder

         StartWhatIsNew Turns "What is New" screen on and off at startup

         TOOLS-PATH     Sets alternative locations for proofing tools

         WORDMAIL-PATH  Sets WordMail directory path

         WPHelp         Turns WordPerfect Help on or off

The optional settings located here are:

         AUTOSAVE-PATH  Sets default folder for AutoSave documents

         Bak-Extension  Sets default extension for backup files

         BitMapMemory   Sets memory for internal graphics cache

         CacheSize      Sets internal document text cache for Word

         DDETimeout     Allows you to set the time in seconds Word waits
                        for a DDE message from another DDE application.
                        For example, DDETimeout=60

NOTE: There are two settings that Word and Office share. These settings are not stored in this key, but are stored as follows:

      USER-DOT-PATH         HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\ 
                            Microsoft Office\95\FileNew\LocalTemplates

      WORKGROUP-DOT-PATH    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\ 
                            Microsoft Office\95\FileNew\SharedTemplates

Help Key

Path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Word\7.0\Help\Files

This key contains the paths for Word's Help files. Word Help, WordPerfect Help, and WordBasic Help paths are found here.

More Info Key

Path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Word\7.0\More Info

The purpose of this key is unknown.

Proofing Tools Key

Path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Word\7.0\Proofing Tools

This key contains information for Words proofing tools. Hyphenation, Grammar, Thesaurus, and Spelling are located under this key. Each tool registers languages here and the paths for its engine and the dictionary for each language. For example, the following setting points to the path for the English (1033) dictionary for Word.

          HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Word\7.0\Proofing
          Tools\Spelling\1033\Normal\Dictionary

Stationery Key

Path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Word\7.0\Stationery

This key contains the default location for the template for WordMail and the links to find the template.

The four settings here are:

      Cfg File Location   Sets the path to the WordMail folder

      Default Template    Sets the path to the template (by default,
                          Email.dot)

      DlgDefTpl           Shows a link to the default template

      Option              Shows a link to the default template

Text Converters Key

Path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Word\7.0\Text Converters

This key contains registration information for Word's text converters. It includes keys for import and export converters. Each converter registers its extension, name, and path here.

NOTE: One uncommon converter registered here is the Schedule Plus converter that allows import of contact lists through address book. The path is

          HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Word\7.0\Text
          Converters\Import\Splus

WordMail Key

Path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Word\7.0\WordMail

This key contains the window position information for WordMail.

Virus Protection Key (Added to Word 7.0a)

Path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\Word\7.0\Options\

EnableMacroVirusProtection = 1

SETTINGS IN HKEY\CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\MICROSOFT OFFICE\95

This key is used by other Microsoft programs, such as the Office programs. Likewise, these settings are shared between programs. Changes made in one program's settings will appear in the other programs.

AutoCorrect     Sets the path to the .ACL file (which contains the
                AutoCorrect list) and lists the current settings for
                AutoCorrect.

FileGroups      Sets binary values for FileNew extensions

FileNew         Sets paths for local and shared templates

IntelliSearch   Registration of IntelliSearch feature

Shell Folders   Registration of Shell folders

SETTINGS IN HKEY\CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\MS SETUP (ACME)

The setting here refer to the user's name, which appears during Setup.

User Info      Sets user name and company name for setup usage

SETTINGS IN HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\SHARED TOOLS

This key contains paths for all Windows applets such as WordArt and MsGraph5. Paths for graphics filters and text converters are also registered in this location. A list of clients using a filter, converter, or applet is listed under each tool.

MISCELLANEOUS SETTINGS

The .doc file name extension is registered in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT in several ways.

Class Ids are in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT and in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

USING THE REGOPTIONS MACRO

The RegOptions macro can be used to examine the Windows registry or to make changes to Word settings stored there. To run the macro:

On the File menu, click Templates.
Click the Add button.
Change the directory to the Macros subdirectory under Winword (for example, C:\MSOffice\Winword\Macro).
Select the Macros7.Dot file and click OK.

This adds the Macros7 template to the "Global Templates and Add-ins" box. Click OK.
On the Tools menu, click Macro.
Change the "Macros Available In" line to show "Macros7.dot (Global Template)". Choose RegOptions listed under Macros and click Run.

NOTE: The RegOptions macro incorrectly modifies the registry for the User Templates path and the Workgroup Templates path. Do not use the RegOptions macro to make these changes. Make the changes in Microsoft Word: On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click File Locations.