Normal.dot not opening when launching Word

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Anybody any idea why normal.dot will not show when Word is launched? A different template is launching when Word is started.
Where would you specify the template Word uses for Document1?

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Please always specify the version of Word in use.
Check C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOfficeSTARTUP
for a template or document. The contents of Startup are opened when Word is launched.
For Word 2000 there is a second user Startup folder under C:Windows…..
Search for it and check it’s contents too.

If all startups are empty, with Word closed rename normal.dot (delete it if you have no macros, autotext, etc) then restart Word. May be a damaged normal.dot

Bob_D

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If word can’t find a template called normal.dot in either your template folder or in the User Templates or Workgroup templates location it should create a template called normal.dot based on the default word setting.

Try searching for and renaming normal.dot, start Word and it should create a standard normal template.

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You didn’t say which version of Word you are using. Where Normal.dot is stored depends on your version and operating system (among other things).

Normal.dot always loads when you start Word. Word won’t work without it and will create one if it can’t find one.

How are you starting Word? You are almost certainly using a Windows shortcut. If it is on your desktop, right-click on it and look at it’s properties. Click the second tab and look at the actual DOS command being given by Windows.

Write it down. Then click on the button that say’s “Find Target.” Note what the target file is and what folder it is in. If the target is a template rather than winwordx.exe (or something similar) that is your reason. You are using a different template to start Word. Give that shortcut a different name in case you want to create that document regularly.

Then find the winword*.exe program on your computer. Create a shortcut from that program and put it on your desktop.

If the shortcut is in your Start menu, right-click on your Start button and open that. Then trace through your folders and find the icon you use to start Word and follow the same procedure.

If the shortcut is to winword*.exe, then you almost certainly have a switch or two at the end of the DOS command in the shortcut. Write back with the full command and someone here can tell you how to change it.

See: Template Basics for more about the Normal template. It is stored in the same location as your User Templates.

Hope this helps.

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> How are you starting Word?

This is an excuse for me to trot out my DOS batch file which is used to start Word, whether from a shortcut key (Ctrl-Alt-W), from the desktop icon, from the Start menu of from a File Association in Explorer?

OK. Thanks.

REM Word97.bat Christopher Greaves Thursday, July 1, 1999
:: Re-create the Normal.dot prior to loading Word97

if "debug%"=="" set debug=off
@echo

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THANKYOU to all that replied, and will be trying a few of these.
If it helps, it is being started in WIN2K sp1 from a desktop shortcut. Nothing is specified in the Start-in location.

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You may also want to look in the dialog box under the menu at Tools | Options. Look at the tab named “File Locations” and double-click the entry named “User Templates”. This will tell you the folder where Word stores the “normal” template for your version of Word (this location varies depending on whether or not your computer uses profiles).

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Hi Chris:

I know almost nothing about DOS, so forgive a few questions.

1. What does :: do in a batch file?
2. What does the debug line do?
3. What does @echo something bug% do & how do you create the something (i.e. I can’t tell what character that is)
4. Where do you get the N20001128.dot from to copy it to normal.dot?

Thanks in advance.

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1. What does :: do in a batch file?

A leading colon represents a label (as in “GOTO Label”) and thus is a non-executable line of code. A double-colon is a convention for a comment line. REM would do the same, but i think the command line processor actually tries to parse the line, or something.

2. What does the debug line do?

It checks to see if the DOS environment variable has been set. If it is not set, I set it to a default value of “off”.

I want to be able to have “echo ON” if I want to trace a problem, but “echo OFF” otherwise. “Echo OFF” suppresses display of comamnd lines as they run.

By using an environment variable “debug” I can effect the tracing of commands without having to edit the BATch file once to change the line to “echo ON” and then edit it a second time to reset it to “echo OFF”.

3. What does @echo something bug% do & how do you create the something (i.e. I can’t tell what character that is)

You can observe the effect if you issue the command “SET DEBUG=ON” before running the batch file.

I hope this helps.

4. Where do you get the N20001128.dot from to copy it to normal.dot?

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Thanks, Chris.

And one more, please. Where do you get the N20001128.dot to copy to normal? Is that from a previous save of some sort?

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I apologise; I skipped over this one.

Yes, N20011128.dot is from a previous save.

When I’m cleaning a machine, I use Windows Explorer to locate and rename all occurrences of Normal.dot. I actually rename twice. First to a file with a DOT extent, at which point I can still access the file as a template to retrieve user macros, and then I rename the extent so that Word doesn’t find it at all, ever, so to speak.

Well, after locating and renaming all the Normal.dots, I load Word. Word creates a fresh Normal.dot from scratch if it can’t find one. I exit Word so that I now have a pristine Normal.dot. This I rename (it was 28th November 2000 last time I did this!) and MOVE it to a “safe” location. I commonly mark it Read-Only.

That’s the D:GREAVESN20001128.dot you saw in my BATch file example.

Next question? What happens to macro code that gets recorded in the copy of N20001128.dot that looks like Normal.dot to Word? Well, if an experiment proves successful, I either open up N20001128.dot and use Organizer to drag a module across, or more commonly use the Export module feature of the Visual basic Editor – that way I have an ASCII text file as an audit trail.

While we’re on the subject, I also (Word97) choose Tools, Options,Save, check on PROMPT TO SAVE NORMAL. This doesn’t protect you agains nasty virus people, but it DOES remind you if you’ve made changes you’ld like to retain. (save the template anyway, reload Word and copy changes from OldNormal.dot).

I repeat myself I know: This BATch file has protected me from many a Word virus *and* allowed me to be the first to inform the sender.

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Hi Chris:

Thank you very much for the thorough explanation. I’ve been extremely careful in my downloads & never got a virus on my home computer that didn’t get caught. I keep several backups of normal.dot (& have a batch file to create them). But you’re approach looks interesting & I’m always looking for new ideas.

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It dawned on me late last night that if I password-protect (in VBE) my N20011128.dot then even if a Word virus disables macro protection it ought not to be able to write code in Normal.dot at all. One extra but powerful protective device.

Having to give my password to Normal.dot when I want to make the rare edit is no big deal. I have to load N20011128.dot from its own directory anyway, make the change and re-save.

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(blush) We live and learn.

My Normal.dot is still password-protected, and that works fine.

It turns out that password-protecting one’s Normal.Dot is a great way to discover just how many of one’s add-ins need/are trying to modify Normal.dot in the ordinary course of events.

Ouch!

Maybe setting a password on Normal.dot would be a very simple way of tracking down some of life’s mysteries?

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Hi Chris:

I’m still missing one part of your batch file that you posted over here. On the line

@echo Xbug% (well, if I paste it, it’s
@echo

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>where X= a symbol that looks like a Greek Theta, I don’t know how to

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh! That’s a BUG (in the postingh/mailing system). The actual line is a letter “d” followed by a letter “e” followed by a letter “u” etc as in “debug”

Those two little lines are common to many of my longer batch files. They test the envirionment variable “debug” and echo (trace) each statement or not, depending on the setting.

If the setting has not been made, the two lines of code make it defaul tto “off”.

I have attached a short batch file as an example. This should get through all right.

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