OFF95: Choosing New Document Does Not Use Default Settings (135886)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office for Windows 95
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 95
  • Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95
  • Microsoft Word for Windows 95
This article was previously published under Q135886

SYMPTOMS

After you install any of the programs listed at the beginning of this article, if you choose to create one of the following

New Microsoft Word Document
New Microsoft Excel Workbook
New Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation

from the Context menu, the default settings made in the programs are not used. (To create a new document from the Context menu, use the right mouse button to click the desktop, and click New.)

CAUSE

Windows 95 uses the various templates and files found in the ShellNew folder. For example, Windows will use the templates in c:\Windows\ShellNew if Windows 95 was installed to the c:\Windows folder.

WORKAROUND

To change the default settings, open the appropriate templates or files from the ShellNew folder, modify them and save them in the ShellNew folder.

In Microsoft Excel for Windows 95

  1. Open the c:\Windows\ShellNew\Excel.xls file.
  2. Modify the settings by clicking Options on the Tools menu.
  3. Save this file with the same name "Excel.xls" as a Microsoft Excel Workbook in the ShellNew Folder.

In Microsoft Word for Windows 95

  1. Open the c:\Windows\ShellNew\Winword.doc file.
  2. Modify the settings by clicking Options on the Tools menu.
  3. Save this file with the same name "winword.doc" as a Word Document in the ShellNew Folder.

In Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95

  1. Open the c:\Windows\ShellNew\Ppt70.ppt file.
  2. Modify the settings by clicking Options on the Tools menu.
  3. Save this file with the same name "ppt70.ppt" (as a Presentation in the ShellNew Folder.

STATUS

This behavior occurs because Windows 95 looks at the ShellNew folder when it creates new documents from the Context menu.

REFERENCES

"Getting Results with Microsoft Office for Windows 95," version 7.0, "Customize Office"

For more information about Customizing Office 7.0 programs, choose Help Topics on the Help menu for your program, click the Contents tab, and double-click the appropriate topic:

Customizing Microsoft Word
Customizing Microsoft Excel
Customizing Microsoft PowerPoint

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:8/17/2005
Keywords:KB135886
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.