I am unable to find or open the Normal.dot file in Word 2003 Pro Edition. A
search on my computer, even with the settings set to show/search hidden files
and system files, etc., returns no results! Therefore, any changes I make to
the toolbars are never saved. Does anyone know where to go from here --
short of paying $35 for an email conversation with MS?

Normal.dot is a hidden file in the folder indicated at tools options
file locations user templates.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org




Big Sur Cowgirl wrote:
I am unable to find or open the Normal.dot file in Word 2003 Pro
Edition. A search on my computer, even with the settings set to
show/search hidden files and system files, etc., returns no results!
Therefore, any changes I make to the toolbars are never saved. Does
anyone know where to go from here -- short of paying $35 for an email
conversation with MS?

Nope, I have done the same things with my Word 2003 that Big Sur has done and
I am convinced that normal.dot must be hardcoded in 2003 and only presents if
you make significant changes.

Joepd

"Graham Mayor" wrote:

Normal.dot is a hidden file in the folder indicated at tools options
file locations user templates.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org




Big Sur Cowgirl wrote:
I am unable to find or open the Normal.dot file in Word 2003 Pro
Edition. A search on my computer, even with the settings set to
show/search hidden files and system files, etc., returns no results!
Therefore, any changes I make to the toolbars are never saved. Does
anyone know where to go from here -- short of paying $35 for an email
conversation with MS?

By the way, with hidden file negated I go to ToolOptionsfile LocationUser
Templates in Word 2003 and get an empty set.

Joepd

"Graham Mayor" wrote:

Normal.dot is a hidden file in the folder indicated at tools options
file locations user templates.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org




Big Sur Cowgirl wrote:
I am unable to find or open the Normal.dot file in Word 2003 Pro
Edition. A search on my computer, even with the settings set to
show/search hidden files and system files, etc., returns no results!
Therefore, any changes I make to the toolbars are never saved. Does
anyone know where to go from here -- short of paying $35 for an email
conversation with MS?

I noticed this strange aspect of Word 2003, too. However, it appears that
when you search for it in W2003 you may be offered some search options
("Advanced") that include viewing hidden files, even though you already told
Word that you wanted to view such files.

"joepd" wrote in message
...
Nope, I have done the same things with my Word 2003 that Big Sur has done
and
I am convinced that normal.dot must be hardcoded in 2003 and only presents
if
you make significant changes.

Joepd

"Graham Mayor" wrote:

Normal.dot is a hidden file in the folder indicated at tools options
file locations user templates.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org




Big Sur Cowgirl wrote:
I am unable to find or open the Normal.dot file in Word 2003 Pro
Edition. A search on my computer, even with the settings set to
show/search hidden files and system files, etc., returns no results!
Therefore, any changes I make to the toolbars are never saved. Does
anyone know where to go from here -- short of paying $35 for an email
conversation with MS?

The defaults for normal.dot are hard coded in the application, but Word will
create them as a file called normal.dot when it is run. Whether or not you
save that file is another matter, but the first time you use Word without
having saved that file, it will either do so automatically or prompt you to
save it depending on what option you have set in tools options save.
Occasionally add-ins can prevent normal.dot from saving - I believe the
Acrobat 7 add-in falls into this category.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org




joepd wrote:
Nope, I have done the same things with my Word 2003 that Big Sur has
done and I am convinced that normal.dot must be hardcoded in 2003 and
only presents if you make significant changes.

Joepd

"Graham Mayor" wrote:

Normal.dot is a hidden file in the folder indicated at tools
options file locations user templates.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org




Big Sur Cowgirl wrote:
I am unable to find or open the Normal.dot file in Word 2003 Pro
Edition. A search on my computer, even with the settings set to
show/search hidden files and system files, etc., returns no results!
Therefore, any changes I make to the toolbars are never saved. Does
anyone know where to go from here -- short of paying $35 for an
email conversation with MS?

This could be an indication that the data key in the registry is corrupt -
see http://www.gmayor.com/my_toolbars_are_missing.htm or
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/MissingMenusEtc.htm for a fix.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org




joepd wrote:
By the way, with hidden file negated I go to ToolOptionsfile
LocationUser Templates in Word 2003 and get an empty set.

Joepd

"Graham Mayor" wrote:

Normal.dot is a hidden file in the folder indicated at tools
options file locations user templates.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org




Big Sur Cowgirl wrote:
I am unable to find or open the Normal.dot file in Word 2003 Pro
Edition. A search on my computer, even with the settings set to
show/search hidden files and system files, etc., returns no results!
Therefore, any changes I make to the toolbars are never saved. Does
anyone know where to go from here -- short of paying $35 for an
email conversation with MS?

I'd heard that Word 2003 does not save a normal.dot unless some modification
is made. I just tested this by renaming my normal.dot and restarting Word.
Even though I made no changes (and disabled my .dot Add-Ins) it still
prompted for saving normal.dot on exit. However, it did not create any file
(or even a lock file) in the user templates folder until I told it I wanted
to save the "changes."
--

Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide

See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.



"Graham Mayor" wrote in message
...
The defaults for normal.dot are hard coded in the application, but Word
will
create them as a file called normal.dot when it is run. Whether or not you
save that file is another matter, but the first time you use Word without
having saved that file, it will either do so automatically or prompt you
to
save it depending on what option you have set in tools options save.
Occasionally add-ins can prevent normal.dot from saving - I believe the
Acrobat 7 add-in falls into this category.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org




joepd wrote:
Nope, I have done the same things with my Word 2003 that Big Sur has
done and I am convinced that normal.dot must be hardcoded in 2003 and
only presents if you make significant changes.

Joepd

"Graham Mayor" wrote:

Normal.dot is a hidden file in the folder indicated at tools
options file locations user templates.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org




Big Sur Cowgirl wrote:
I am unable to find or open the Normal.dot file in Word 2003 Pro
Edition. A search on my computer, even with the settings set to
show/search hidden files and system files, etc., returns no results!
Therefore, any changes I make to the toolbars are never saved. Does
anyone know where to go from here -- short of paying $35 for an
email conversation with MS?

Perhaps my description of the mechanism only served to confuse the issue
here, but yes you are correct that normal.dot is only created if you agree
to that prompt, or you allow Word to make the decision to save normal.dot by
itself.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org




Charles Kenyon wrote:
I'd heard that Word 2003 does not save a normal.dot unless some
modification is made. I just tested this by renaming my normal.dot
and restarting Word. Even though I made no changes (and disabled my
.dot Add-Ins) it still prompted for saving normal.dot on exit.
However, it did not create any file (or even a lock file) in the user
templates folder until I told it I wanted to save the "changes."

"Graham Mayor" wrote in message
...
The defaults for normal.dot are hard coded in the application, but
Word will
create them as a file called normal.dot when it is run. Whether or
not you save that file is another matter, but the first time you use
Word without having saved that file, it will either do so
automatically or prompt you to
save it depending on what option you have set in tools options
save. Occasionally add-ins can prevent normal.dot from saving - I
believe the Acrobat 7 add-in falls into this category.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org




joepd wrote:
Nope, I have done the same things with my Word 2003 that Big Sur has
done and I am convinced that normal.dot must be hardcoded in 2003
and only presents if you make significant changes.

Joepd

"Graham Mayor" wrote:

Normal.dot is a hidden file in the folder indicated at tools
options file locations user templates.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org




Big Sur Cowgirl wrote:
I am unable to find or open the Normal.dot file in Word 2003 Pro
Edition. A search on my computer, even with the settings set to
show/search hidden files and system files, etc., returns no
results! Therefore, any changes I make to the toolbars are never
saved. Does anyone know where to go from here -- short of paying
$35 for an
email conversation with MS?

Hi Graham,

No confusion here, unless I created it. I was simply stating that I had seen
statements (not from regular posters or MVPs) that Word 2003 did not create
a new normal.dot unless some change was made to the defaults. I was
confirming that my test of my installation would create a new normal.dot
even if no changes were made.
--

Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide

See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.

"Graham Mayor" wrote in message
...
Perhaps my description of the mechanism only served to confuse the issue
here, but yes you are correct that normal.dot is only created if you agree
to that prompt, or you allow Word to make the decision to save normal.dot
by
itself.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org




Charles Kenyon wrote:
I'd heard that Word 2003 does not save a normal.dot unless some
modification is made. I just tested this by renaming my normal.dot
and restarting Word. Even though I made no changes (and disabled my
.dot Add-Ins) it still prompted for saving normal.dot on exit.
However, it did not create any file (or even a lock file) in the user
templates folder until I told it I wanted to save the "changes."

"Graham Mayor" wrote in message
...
The defaults for normal.dot are hard coded in the application, but
Word will
create them as a file called normal.dot when it is run. Whether or
not you save that file is another matter, but the first time you use
Word without having saved that file, it will either do so
automatically or prompt you to
save it depending on what option you have set in tools options
save. Occasionally add-ins can prevent normal.dot from saving - I
believe the Acrobat 7 add-in falls into this category.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org




joepd wrote:
Nope, I have done the same things with my Word 2003 that Big Sur has
done and I am convinced that normal.dot must be hardcoded in 2003
and only presents if you make significant changes.

Joepd

"Graham Mayor" wrote:

Normal.dot is a hidden file in the folder indicated at tools
options file locations user templates.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org




Big Sur Cowgirl wrote:
I am unable to find or open the Normal.dot file in Word 2003 Pro
Edition. A search on my computer, even with the settings set to
show/search hidden files and system files, etc., returns no
results! Therefore, any changes I make to the toolbars are never
saved. Does anyone know where to go from here -- short of paying
$35 for an
email conversation with MS?