Templates - Make Change to Normal.dotm

  • Thread starter Thread starter C and A Bredt
  • Start date Start date
C

C and A Bredt

I want to have a different template that Word uses when it starts. Not the
current Normal.dotm.

I have created the template. How do I save it as the default that Word will
use?

Thanks, CB
 
Can you please tel me what you found and does it work when a start Word by
double click a document. I found how to do it with startup options, but not
for starting from a document.

many thenks

Peter
 
If you put a shortcut to the template on your desktop, then you can start
Word with a new document based on that template by double-clicking on that
shortcut. But the New button in Word will still create a new document based
on Normal.dotm.
 
Sorry i think i didn't make totaly clear where i'm looking for.

When i double click a file (word document) word will open and the document
is on my screen. ad the same time normal.dotm is opend and styles settings
and so on are applied. Is it possible to start a file by double clicking and
get te settings not from normal.dotm, but by example from qqq.dotm. I want to
try if its possible te let this work with the file qqq.dotm as read only
(wich is not possible with normal.dotm).

And why do i want to try this?

We are using Word 2007 and we want that all users use the same (standard)
normal.dotm/qqq.dotm (standard looks and easy making changes like new
macro's and so on).

I set the same template folder for all users and they all use the same
Normal.dotm, but when someone accidently make a change (or the dymo
labelwriter makes it every time), when leaving Word he is prompted to save
normal.dotm which I don't want him to do and is also not possible, while
other users are using te same file (this gives many unwanted messages). Also
when the user is the only user, he changes te standard.

I tried making normal.dotm read only but this doesn't work (error messages).

I hope you can sort me out

Peter
 
Word was not designed to share the Normal template. Each user should have a
copy of the Normal template on their own workstation. The User Templates
should point to a folder on the local drive.



The main reasons for this are:



1) It decreases your chances of spreading viruses (Not everyone should share
the same Kleenex!)



2) If Word can't find the network for any number of reasons, then it will
create a new Normal templateo n the local drive. When there is more than one
Normal templatethen this begins to cause additional problems,errors, etc.



3) Any changes one user makes affects all users. This type of situation can
lead to various error messages and can lead to the corruption of the Normal
template.



4) Microsoft does not recommend you do this either. Additional information
can be found in this article from the MS KB
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q167284/ Even though it was written for Word
97 the content is still applicable.



If the reason the Normal template is shared is because of global
AutoText/Building Block entries, macros, etc then these should be placed in
a separate template and folder on the server and point each users Startup
location to that folder. Upon starting the template will be loaded as a
global add-in and all items will be available to the user and a little more
protected than they would be if stored on a shared Normal template.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Melton
What is a Microsoft MVP? http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/gp/mvpfaqs

Guides for the Office 2007 Interface:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/HA102295841033.aspx
 
Thank you for your compleet explanation it make things clear. And i supose we
have to live with it.

In my situation we work terminal server with 10 users who all do the same
work en we want to all use the same (optimized) standard procedures. The
problem is that when we dissided it's better to use a new style, or something
like that i have open i session for every user to change the settings. i can
give everyone a new copy of normal.dotm (thats no problem in our situation),
but when you let people also make there own changes in Normal.dotm, then they
wil not like the last option verry much.

My experience is that different normal.dotm files gives manny questions why
computers don't behave the same.

I also thouht of using global add-ins for macro's but is this also posible
for styles etc. It makes the whole situation more complex (more files and
different settings for users) wich makes my work "more interesting".

I just discused it here and we think we will work with global templates, but
also change the loginscript, so everyone gets the standard normal.dotm when
he logs in.

I also take this change to ask you for some more information. Is there a
list of things that are set in normal.dotm (and also in normalemail.dotm) and
wich are set in the registry. In the years some are clear for me, but lot off
them aren't (by example themes in word and outlook2007). I found where they
are stored, but where is stored wich is standard (registry or
normal(email).dotm).

And to make it more complex whats in normalemail.dotm and what is in
mail.oft.

I know that this is not realy the right topic, but i hope you know the
answer's. (one fool can ask more then 10 wise people).

Peter
 
If you can copy your standard Normal template for each user when they log in
that would be the best solution and the least likely to cause errors.

Regarding your question on what is stored in the Normal template and the
Registry. I don't know of a list but basically if it's an option, such as
those in Word Options, it's stored in the Registry. The Normal template
contains default styles, formatting, page margins, ect, built-in rich text
AutoCorrect entries and it can also store macros, Building Blocks,
QAT/Ribbon customizations, and keyboard shortcuts. Content that is stored in
the Normal template is typically identified such as when you create/modify
as style and select the option, "New documents based on this template". Or
if you create a Building Block and select the Normal template as the Save In
template. An exception to this is rich text AutoCorrect entries. They are
automatically stored in the Normal template.

Themes are stored in individual files, *.thmx. However each
document/template will also have a theme, if they are saved in the new file
format, and you can use the document/template theme in other files.

NormalEmail.dotm holds the same type of content as the Normal template and
is used for the email body.Outlook templates (.otf) store Outlook forms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Melton
What is a Microsoft MVP? http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/gp/mvpfaqs

Guides for the Office 2007 Interface:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/HA102295841033.aspx
 
NormalEmail.dotm is the Outlook 2007 editor's equivalent of normal.dot.
Outlook 2007 does not use Word as its editor any more; it has its own
trimmed down version of Word in a separate dll package. You need to handle
Outlook as a completely separate entity when you set company defaults.

You need to go the Workgroup template route. Normal.dotm is to let users
customize their interface, not just styles. If a user wants to add a command
to their QAT and assign a different keyboard shortcut, then Word lets them
do just that.

You can also deploy company orientated spellings and autotext to all users
the same way too.
 
Thanks for the explanation.

"You need to go the Workgroup template route" do you mean making a template
for every standard document and place them in the workgroup template folder
and set this folder as standard for every user. This is the way we work now
for standard documents and it works fine.

Can i change Normalemail.dotm the same way as normal.dotm (open it make
changes and save it)?
 
Thanks that makes things more clear.

But i think i can use .oft for forms, but also to make a sort of template
with standard text. When i want to create a standar e-mail lay-out wit a
company logo en "disclaimer text" what is the best way? place the text in
normalemail.dotm, or in mail.oft??? I tested is on a .oft file and it is
possible to place standard text. I think it must be possible in mail.oft and
normalemail.dotm. But i cant think of pro's and contra's for the solution's.
And i hate to stumle one way when the other way is easier (maybe i'm to lazy)
 
Back
Top