Where is the normal template in Word 2008?

[Phillip Jones]

I have a way to to prove it in 2004. It may work the same in 2008 , then
it May not.

Locate the Normal. in 2004 its just named normal (no extensions) in 2008
it adds dotx to end (or whatever).

anyway notice what the default font and and fonts size. should be either
Helvetica or Ariel.

Now type something, anything, but choose a different font, something
that would obviously look different.

Now save document.

Now quit word you should get a prompt do you wish to save changes to
Normal. hit okay or yes. (You want to do it).

Now throw away the document you made as it was just a test.

Now open Word again.

Before you so much as touch a key. look at the font used and the size
chosen.

IF you choose to save changes to Normal it will keep, the change of Font
used and font size you used in the last paragraph you typed in previous
document.

It does the same thing as your going to Save As.. menu and choosing save
to Normal.

So if you come up with a combination you like then when asked if you
wish to save to normal. You must choose no in order to keep your changes.

I tried the same thing on 2008 and it appeared to do the same thing.

It want keep Track of special items such as adding italics on a word or
to only what the major font and size you used on the last paragraph you
typed period. doesn't do anything for styles. Just for Font used and
Point size.

Hi Mauricio,

Now I'm entirely confused.


Uh, what *is* the problem? Last I heard, I'd given you precise
directions to do what you wanted. Where did a problem arise?

No, it doesn't. Period. (Phillip sorta said that, but he was wrong.) The
Normal template should automatically pick up the window size and view
from a regular document, but not much else. How are you defining "look
like"? Look like in terms of window size and view, yes--in terms of
font, spacing, margins: not unless you told it to by clicking Default.

Why would you want to keep the Normal template unaltered? You should
customize it as much as you want.

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[Phillip Jones]

Daiya

You can't have it both ways. Sorry!

what I described was How to use this feature to save a desired Font, and
Point size for the font.

But to keep your custom changes after saving them, when asked if you
want to save changes to normal you have to answer NO otherwise it uses
what you just just used. say if you changed from Benguiat 12pt.
Ziggy20pt for one document. next time you open a document if you
accidentally chose YES then you next document would be Ziggy20pt.

What I described is how to set your on font preference for any document
you wan to create.

Hi Mauricio,

You are misreading the preference description. When you click "Default"
in a dialog, then yes, the change is sent to Normal. That's what Default
means--"I want this to be the default setting". But you can change the
Font or Margins without clicking default, and if you don't click
Default, Normal is unaltered, and the preference does not apply, because
you did not change the default settings.

So, yes, *if* you have changed your Normal template, Word will
automatically save it with the changes, unless that box is checked.

But, most things that you do in a document will NOT change the Normal
template. You can make about 80 million changes in your document, and
none of them will affect Normal unless you specifically told them do,
and it's always a separate step to make that happen. It will *not* pick
up every little change you make in every document.

HOWEVER, the window size, zoom, which toolbars are showing, and whether
you are using draft or normal view are a special case. They *do*
automatically persist when you open another document. Word automatically
remembers the last ones when you create a new document--but these are
the *only* settings that automatically change the next document without
you doing something on purpose.

Usually, this is a feature, as if you created a document, and then
immediately have to resize it or change the view to draft because that's
what you like, you'd rather have that happen automatically on the next
document than have to keep re-doing it again or go out of your way to
make that be the default. But there are times when it might be annoying
(and actually, with Notebook Layout and Publishing View, it's getting
more annoying). It should fix itself though--let's say for some reason
you had a document open in Draft View, got annoyed when the second
document was created in Draft view, reset it to Page Layout view, and
then the third document should open in Page Layout view.

But Word is working as designed (although, you've showed me that the
design ought to be fixed).

That said, there's nothing wrong with checking the "prompt to save
Normal" box. In my test, though, it doesn't prevent the next document
from picking up the view, zoom, or size of the last window anyhow. I
think because these are not actually changes to Normal itself, but
settings that Word remembers somewhere else.

Daiya

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Phillip M. Jones, CET |LIFE MEMBER: VPEA ETA-I, NESDA, ISCET, Sterling
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[Tom]

Interesting reading and that answered lots of questions for me, thanks!

Dayia - a few posts above you mentioned that Word automatically saved the last zoom setting and applied it to future documents. That has always been my experience in Word X (or so I think - it's one of those things you don't notice until it goes wrong), but in Word 2008 whatever I have tried every new document opens at 77%. Do you know how to change that so new documents start up at 100%?

Many thanks in advance for your help

Tom

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

Maybe....this thread pointed out that I'm not as sure of my ground with
this issue as I thought. But try this approach:

Use File | Open to open your Normal template at
[username]/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office/User
Templates/Normal.dotm. Make sure to use File | Open from within Word.

Set the desired size and view and zoom you want documents to be. Type a
space and then delete it--the point of this is to make sure Word thinks
there is a change that needs to be saved, without actually leaving text
in Normal.

Save and close. All new documents created henceforth should use those
view settings. (this will NOT affect documents that other people send
you--those need to be changed one-by-one, as they carry the settings
from their creator).

 

[Tom]

Success, thank you!

I didn't type the space and delete it before, so Word obviously thought I hadn't changed anything.

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

Great, glad it worked.

Technically opening up Normal to set View/Size shouldn't be necessary at
all, but can sometimes kick Word into remembering the settings better.
Don't know why.

 

[Phillip Jones]

Maybe....this thread pointed out that I'm not as sure of my ground with
this issue as I thought. But try this approach:

Use File | Open to open your Normal template at
[username]/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office/User
Templates/Normal.dotm. Make sure to use File | Open from within Word.

Set the desired size and view and zoom you want documents to be. Type a
space and then delete it--the point of this is to make sure Word thinks
there is a change that needs to be saved, without actually leaving text
in Normal.

Save and close. All new documents created henceforth should use those
view settings. (this will NOT affect documents that other people send
you--those need to be changed one-by-one, as they carry the settings
from their creator).

There is one thing to add to what you said. (which is similar to what I
did but easier to understand since I can't write well. ;-)

Once you choose whatever font /size / page zoom etc. from then on every
time you type a new document; in order to *keep your settings*, if the
question come up *do you wish to save changes to normal?* answer *no*
otherwise your new settings in the current document will apply.

The only way to save changes and make them stick forever, is to open a
new document, type something (a space, letter whatever) then remove that
item, make sure you changes don't revert to original setup. Then save as
template and place in my templates (if 2008 still uses same as 2004)
give it a name to remember.

Now on opening to a new blank screen, go to the template you saved and
open. Create your document and save as doc or docx file.

each time you open this *template* it will open with you custom settings.

either way is equally as easy. the only thing to remember is, in order
to keep any changes to normal, *you must say no if it ask save changes.

this is my last on this subject. for now. If I am not careful all case
more confusion than anything.

--
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Phillip M. Jones, CET |LIFE MEMBER: VPEA ETA-I, NESDA, ISCET, Sterling
616 Liberty Street |Who's Who. PHONE:276-632-5045, FAX:276-632-0868
Martinsville Va 24112 |[email protected], ICQ11269732, AIM pjonescet
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[Tony]

Help! I've just installed Office 2008 and on every opening of Word or new blank document I get a copy of one of the documents I had on my desk top when I installed Office.

I've trashed the offending document and also trashed Normal.dotm from My Templates (as instructed by the help function, it is meant to reset the normal template to the company default) but I'm still getting the same, unwanted, doument every time I restart word or select a new document.

Reading the thread above really scares me because even the experts don't seem to know what is going on with the default templates and all I want is a plain blank sheet as my default when I open word! Can anyone help me?

 

[Michel Bintener]

Did you use Office 2004 before installing Office 2008? If yes, then Word
2008 will automatically try to import your Normal template from Word 2004,
which is where the problem might come from. Close Word 2008, then delete
your Normal.dotm template. Next, go to ~/Documents/Microsoft User Data/ and
delete, or move to the desktop, the Normal file in there (the old 2004
Normal template). Now open Word 2008 and see if the new Normal.dotm template
it generates still displays the same symptoms.

Help! I've just installed Office 2008 and on every opening of Word or new
blank document I get a copy of one of the documents I had on my desk top when
I installed Office.

I've trashed the offending document and also trashed Normal.dotm from My
Templates (as instructed by the help function, it is meant to reset the normal
template to the company default) but I'm still getting the same, unwanted,
doument every time I restart word or select a new document.

Reading the thread above really scares me because even the experts don't seem
to know what is going on with the default templates and all I want is a plain
blank sheet as my default when I open word! Can anyone help me?

--
Michel Bintener
Microsoft MVP
Office:mac (Entourage & Word)

*** Please always reply to the newsgroup. ***

 

[tony]

Michel, you are a star! Thank you.

 

[jim@scsu]

I have a problem simlir to the normal template issues noted above: my default language is set to portuguese instead of english. Simply changing to english and clicking default does not work so I've tried the fixes as listed above including: trashed all word prefs (2004 and 2008) and restarted word, trashed normal.dotm restarted word, uninstalled/reinstalled office 2008 (removing previous copy of 08 in the process). Any ideas?

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

Your question really is not similar--you have a default language
problem, which may or may not be a normal template problem. I wish
people would let this thread die a natural death and post new threads
for new questions.

Jim, please repost a new question. When you do so, please note the
language of your OS and keyboard layout.

 

[DVC]

Good thread, but when one Saves As Normal does that wipe-out the Normal that MS ships? Because, if it does, then one is going against the advice to not alter the MS Normal.

If it doesn't overwrite the MS Normal, it seems very strange to have two files with the same name that do almost the same thing.

Perhaps the templete you save goes into your User space, but so far this hasn't been mentioned.

 

[Phillip Jones]

Each time you use Office2004 , 2008 (or for that matter any version that
uses a *normal* template. unless you have set otherwise in preferences
(you can set to ask before making changes to Normal) it makes changes
every time you save the document and shut down an office application.

You can go into preferences and set to *ask before making changes to
normal...*

once you do that a modal screen comes asking if you wish to make
changes to normal choose no or okay. if you choose no it opens using
previous settings. That's what I do because I have set up to use
Benguiat as my font of choice.

Good thread, but when one Saves As Normal does that wipe-out the Normal that MS ships? Because, if it does, then one is going against the advice to not alter the MS Normal.

If it doesn't overwrite the MS Normal, it seems very strange to have two files with the same name that do almost the same thing.

Perhaps the templete you save goes into your User space, but so far this hasn't been mentioned.

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phillip M. Jones, CET |LIFE MEMBER: VPEA ETA-I, NESDA, ISCET, Sterling
616 Liberty Street |Who's Who. PHONE:276-632-5045, FAX:276-632-0868
Martinsville Va 24112 |[email protected], ICQ11269732, AIM pjonescet
------------------------------------------------------------------------

If it's "fixed", don't "break it"!

mailto[email protected]

<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/default.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/90th_Birthday/index.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Fulcher/default.html>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Harris/default.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Jones/default.htm>

<http://www.vpea.org>

 

[John McGhie]

OK, this could turn into a very large subject, because the Normal template
is at the heart of everything Word does.

If you Save As, and set the Type to Template, and choose the correct folder,
you will overwrite the current Normal template.

You can have an unlimited number of files named Normal.dotm on a computer.
However, there can only be ONE loaded in memory by the current instance of
Word. That's the one that is "in use".

The Normal template must always go into the User space: it is totally
specific to the logged in user. Word uses the Normal template as its
scratch-pad, recording all sorts of things the user wants retained, such as
formatting settings, view settings, autotext entries. There are more than a
thousand pieces of information saved in the Normal template.

I don't know who gave you the advice not to alter the MS Normal: I can't
imagine that they would have offered such as an unqualified suggestion. If
they did, it is "wrong" You can, and should, alter the Normal template
to have Word behaving exactly as you want it. As Clive says, "Bend Word to
Your Will."

I do recall advising people not to alter the Normal STYLE without giving it
some thought. Because in a typical document, MOST formatting settings are
ultimately based upon Normal style. Some changes you could make to Normal
Style would instantly be inherited by every other class of formatting in the
document. And yes, the Normal style is stored in the Normal template!

Word is an "object-oriented" application. Among other things, this means
that everything in Word is strung together in Hierarchies, and each
lower-level member inherits some or all of its properties from the object
above it.

The Normal Template sits between Word and every other file that is open, and
acts as a "lender of last resort" for things such as Styles.

The Normal template does not need to exist as a file. In Mac Word, it
almost always DOES exist as a file: but it doesn't have to. There is a
default set of properties hard-coded into the Word application. If you
remove the Normal template, it will immediately create a fresh one (on the
Mac) containing the default properties for everything.

There: That just scratches the surface: ask if you would like more.

Cheers

Good thread, but when one Saves As Normal does that wipe-out the Normal that
MS ships? Because, if it does, then one is going against the advice to not
alter the MS Normal.

If it doesn't overwrite the MS Normal, it seems very strange to have two files
with the same name that do almost the same thing.

Perhaps the templete you save goes into your User space, but so far this
hasn't been mentioned.

--

Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Nhulunbuy, NT, Australia. mailto:[email protected]