WD: Cannot Save Changes to Normal.dot in Second Word Session (193571)

SYMPTOMS

When you quit Word after making changes to the Normal template, you may receive the following messages:

Normal.dot (Normal) was being edited by another Word session. If you save this document with the original name, you will overwrite any changes made in the other session.

Do you want to save the document using the original name anyway?

When you click Yes, the following message is displayed:

This file is read-only.
(C:\PROGRAM FILES\...\NORMAL.DOT)

NOTE: The path to your Normal template may be different from the one listed here.

CAUSE

You have two Word sessions open at the same time. The second session of Word was attached to a read-only copy of your Normal.dot template. Any changes that affect the Normal.dot template, made in the second session of Word, cannot be saved to a read-only copy of Normal.dot.

WORKAROUND

Save the file using a name other than Normal.dot (for example, NewFile.dot). If you want to use this file as your new Normal.dot, you will have to rename your existing Normal.dot first, and then rename NewFile.dot to Normal.dot.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

The Normal.dot template remains read-only even after you exit the first session of Word. This way of handling Normal.dot is different from the way Normal.dot is handled in Word for Windows, version 6.0.

For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

134896 Cannot Rename Normal.dot If Word Mail Is Running

153789 No Prompt to Save Normal Template If WordMail Is Running