Consider this scenario:
1. You create a document based on Normal.dot. In that document, you modify
the formatting of some of the styles to suit your current needs. If this
were a document type you were going to be using a lot, you might save the
document (with modified styles) as a template, or if you wanted the changes
to apply to *all* new documents, you would check "Add to template" so that
the changes were applied to Normal.dot, but if the document is a one-off,
your style modifications are needed for only that document.
2. Later you open that document with "Automatically update document styles"
enabled for Normal.dot. All the modifications you made for that specific
document are lost.
--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site:
http://word.mvps.org
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"Paul_B" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 15 Dec 2006 00:11:09 -0800, Dan Freeman wrote:
Paul_B wrote:
On Thu, 14 Dec 2006 14:44:58 -0800, Dan Freeman wrote:
Start he
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/temp...ons/index.html
Dan
Paul_B wrote:
I'm trying to figure out the best way to sync various Word docs
with normal.dot.
Currently, if I modify a paragraph style and save it to template,
that change is not reflected in existing docs. I'm looking to
affect all docs, even retroactively. AIUI, the Styles/Automatic
Update feature works in the other direction - from the docs to
the template. Is there any way to have the template inform the
docs on a continuing basis? Or does one have to use Organizer
periodically?
Thanks,
p.
"You can update the document with its template's styles. To do
that, Tools Templates and Add-Ins. Tick the Automatically
Update Document Styles box. Then, immediately go back and un-tick
that box. Don't leave the box ticked. "
That seems just about perfect for what I want. Thanks very much
for this information. Any idea why this option shouldn't be left
on?
Don't thank me. Thank Shauna!
Thank you, Shauna! 
As for why, I rarely ask that. If Shauna (or Suzanne, or Jay, or Doug,
etc.)
ever says "turn that off!" I do. If I put a little thought into what
might
get kerfuffled, I can usually see the reasoning, but I'll generally
defer to
the more experienced. I have *enough* gray hair all on my own. g
I can see how the setting could cause some very vivid unintended
formatting changes in docs, with that risk increasing
exponentially when a normat.dot is accessed by more than one
person. But for a one person office, and especially when that
person appreciates the power of the setting, I think it could do
a lot of good and the reward would outweigh the risk.
BW,
p.
--
MS Office '03 on Win XP