WD97: Understanding the Template Path and Normal.dot (198039)
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
This article was previously published under Q198039 SUMMARY
When you click New on the File menu, the templates listed in the Template
box are the templates found in the directory specified in the File
Locations tab for User Templates or Workgroup Templates. You can change
this location by clicking Options on the Tools menu, selecting the File
Type, and clicking the Modify button.
If you don't have a directory set for your User Templates, but you have a
Workgroup Templates directory set, Word looks to the Workgroup directory
for a Normal.dot file. If you have a workstation installation and you set
both the User Templates and the Workgroup Templates directories, Word
first
looks in the Workgroup Templates directory for Normal.dot. Word searches
for Normal.dot in the following order:
User-Dot-Path
Workgroup-Dot-Path
Word Program directory
Current directory
If Word cannot find the Normal template in any of the above locations, it
uses the preset program default settings.
MORE INFORMATION
This article uses four examples to demonstrate how Word searches for
Normal.dot.
Situation 1
If your dot-path is set to C:\templates and there is no Normal.dot file
in C:\templates or in the Word for Windows program directory, Word uses
the
dot-path correctly.
Situation 2
If your dot-path is set to C:\Templates and there is no Normal.dot file in
C:\Templates but there is in the Word for Windows program directory, Word
for Windows uses the Normal.dot file in the Word for Windows program
directory.
NOTE: If you are working over a network and the Normal.dot file is in the
program directory, Normal.dot should be read-only; therefore, you will
receive read-only errors when you save changes to Normal.dot.
WARNING: If you are working over a network and the Normal.dot file is in
the program directory but is not marked as read-only, Word uses that copy
of Normal.dot, which can cause unexpected results for all users running
Word from the same network location.
Situation 3
If your dot-path is set to C:\Templates and there is a Normal.dot file
in C:\Templates and in the Word for Windows program directory, Word for
Windows uses the dot-path.
Situation 4
If your dot-path is set to C:\Templates and there is a Normal.dot file
in C:\Templates but not in the Word for Windows program directory, Word
for Windows uses the dot-path.
| Modification Type: | Major | Last Reviewed: | 11/14/2000 |
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| Keywords: | kbinfo kbtemplate KB198039 |
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