WD: Understanding the Template Path and Normal.dot (94732)
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Word for Windows 1.1
- Microsoft Word for Windows 1.1a
- Microsoft Word for Windows 2.0
- Microsoft Word for Windows 2.0a
- Microsoft Word for Windows 2.0b
- Microsoft Word for Windows 2.0c
- Microsoft Word for Windows 6.0
- Microsoft Word for Windows 6.0a
- Microsoft Word for Windows 6.0c
- Microsoft Word for Windows NT 6.0
- Microsoft Word for Windows 95
- Microsoft Word for Windows 95 7.0a
This article was previously published under Q94732 SUMMARYWord 6.0, 7.0
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 have a
Workgroup Templates directory set, Word will look to the Workgroup
directory for a Normal.dot. 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.
Word Version 2.x
When you choose New from the File menu, the templates listed in the Use
Template box are the templates found in the directory specified in the
dot-path option in the [Microsoft Word 2.0] section of the Win.ini
file.
Word 6.0 does not use the dot-path setting in the Win.ini file. If you
select Normal in the Use Template box, Word for Windows uses the first
Normal.dot file it finds when searching the following directories in
the order listed:
dot-path
Word Program directory
Current directory
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 will
use 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 will use 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 will use
that copy of Normal.Dot which can result in unexpected results to 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 will use 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 will use the dot-path.
REFERENCES
"Microsoft Word for Windows User's Guide," version 2.0, page 805.
"Microsoft Word for Windows User's Reference," version 1.x, page 224.
| Modification Type: | Minor | Last Reviewed: | 8/16/2005 |
|---|
| Keywords: | kbtemplate KB94732 |
|---|
|