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I'd add, too, Suzanne, to also realize that deleting Normal.dot, as
Deborah, suggests, will mean that Word recreates its default Normal.dot
when Word starts up again. It's pristine, but only in the sense that
documents once again default to Word's out-of-the-box styles.
I'd also suggest:
1. Keep a backup copy or two of your carefully re-crafted Normal.dot in
a safe place or two, including removable media and/or a non-network
location.
2. Consider defining your styles with names that don't match Word's
default styles so that there can be no confusion.
3. For a good understanding of Word, its templates, its macros and the
like -- from a publishing professional who's spent a good deal of time
squeezing the most out of Word -- spend some quality time at
www.editorium.com. I have no ties, other than being a happy longtime
user, but I'd say Jack Lyon has done a fine job. There are some powerful
paid Word tools there and some very good freebies, too.
HTH,
Jim
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+jim -dot- pinkham=voith -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+jim -dot- pinkham=voith -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Deborah Hemstreet
Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 9:06 AM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Re: Changing Normal.dot in Word
Hi Suzanne,
I cannot answer this question. However, if your templates can be stored
on the Network, you could talk with the IT department to install
Workgroup templates... I don't know where they are set up in Word 2007.
In 200 and 2003 it is via the Options dialog box, File Locations tab.
I had this done, successfully, as a company where I was working. After
initial resistance, employees found that clicking File, New and getting
a properly branded template, be it letter, document, whatever, was worth
the price in spending a few minutes to learn how to use Word properly.
No matter how you push the changes in Normal.dot to everyone in the
company, if the document goes outside the company to a computer that
does NOT have your company's version of Normal.dot installed on their
computer, their styles will over-ride those of your company, should they
have automatically update selected for the templates. Sometimes they
over-ride anyway. In addition, Normal.dot is notorious for becoming
corrupted. In fact, the most common fix for problems in Word is to
simply deleted Normal.dot and then start over. Magically, Word begins to
function "normally" again <no pun intended>.
You need to explain to your company that by using Workgroup templates,
you will be able to create templates for ALL the needs of your company.
In fact, this setting also impacts Excel and PowerPoint... so that if
there is a specially branded PowerPoint format, or special Excel
templates used, for example, in a design review... everything can be
accessed quickly and easily by simply clicking File > New from Word,
PowerPoint or Excel and opening the correct template.
I know this is not the answer you wanted to hear, but forcing use of
Normal.dot and incorporating your company's branding there is risky
business.
On 02/08/2010 8:52 AM, Suzette Leeming wrote:
> Our company has decided to customize normal.dot in MS Word, to force
> everyone to use our company "style", such as fonts, headings, etc.
>
> We keep our templates on a server. This is working splendidly for our
> letterhead, fax, etc., but not for normal.dot. When a user selects
> File> New, they're getting Word's default settings from normal.dot.
>
> Does anyone know how we can implement this change, so that users will
> get the "new" normal.dot when they are creating a file?
>
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
>
> Suzette Leeming
> Stouffville, Ontario
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