OK, assume I have a new blank document with my favorite left, right, top and lower margin and my favorite
font. I saved this document into a mydefault.doc file.

How do I setup this document format as my default document format?
In other words: whenever I open Word2003 in the future I want to see this document format
without any further adjustments / selection.

Where do I setup this in the options ?

Do I have to convert this doc file into a dot file?

Moreover I want to put this doc resp dot file into my special private folder "D:\priv\word\"
(not in a WORD setup start folder) is this possible ?

Thomas

You cannot make a custom template to the default template in Word; the
default is always normal.dot. However, you can make (certain) changes
to normal.dot. For more, see
http://word.mvps.org/faqs/customizat...alTemplate.htm.

Instead of making (some) modifications to normal.dot, you can create a
template (using FileSave As "Document Template (*.dot)"), formatted
the way you want it, and then create documents based on that template.
If you want the template to be accessible from the New document task
pane, you'd have to store it (or a shortcut to it) in the user
templates folder (as determined by the File Locations tab of
ToolsOptions). Alternatively, just keep the template in any folder
and double-click it (in Windows Explorer) to create documents.

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP


"Thomas McGregor" wrote in message
...
OK, assume I have a new blank document with my favorite left, right,
top and lower margin and my favorite
font. I saved this document into a mydefault.doc file.

How do I setup this document format as my default document format?
In other words: whenever I open Word2003 in the future I want to see
this document format
without any further adjustments / selection.

Where do I setup this in the options ?

Do I have to convert this doc file into a dot file?

Moreover I want to put this doc resp dot file into my special
private folder "D:\priv\word\"
(not in a WORD setup start folder) is this possible ?

Thomas

Yes, you need to save as normal.dot and the path should be as follows in
office 2003:

C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates

USERNAME is your actual username such as JoeBlog

There is already a normal.dot template there and I suggest change its
name to normal_old.dot

This folder is normally hidden so you need to unhide it first or just
paste the above path in Windows explorer.

hth


Thomas McGregor wrote:

OK, assume I have a new blank document with my favorite left, right, top and lower margin and my favorite
font. I saved this document into a mydefault.doc file.

How do I setup this document format as my default document format?
In other words: whenever I open Word2003 in the future I want to see this document format
without any further adjustments / selection.

Where do I setup this in the options ?

Do I have to convert this doc file into a dot file?

Moreover I want to put this doc resp dot file into my special private folder "D:\priv\word\"
(not in a WORD setup start folder) is this possible ?

Thomas

NO! Only Word can make normal.dot. You can copy various items from a
template into normal.dot by using the organiser, but a template saved as
normal.dot is not the same as normal.dot.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

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


ANONYMOUS wrote:
Yes, you need to save as normal.dot and the path should be as follows
in office 2003:

C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Application
Data\Microsoft\Templates

USERNAME is your actual username such as JoeBlog

There is already a normal.dot template there and I suggest change its
name to normal_old.dot

This folder is normally hidden so you need to unhide it first or just
paste the above path in Windows explorer.

hth


Thomas McGregor wrote:

OK, assume I have a new blank document with my favorite left, right,
top and lower margin and my favorite font. I saved this document
into a mydefault.doc file.

How do I setup this document format as my default document format?
In other words: whenever I open Word2003 in the future I want to see
this document format
without any further adjustments / selection.

Where do I setup this in the options ?

Do I have to convert this doc file into a dot file?

Moreover I want to put this doc resp dot file into my special
private folder "D:\priv\word\" (not in a WORD setup start folder) is
this possible ?

Thomas

This is pretty simple to do:
open word with new blank document.

To set default Font, click Font on Format menu. Select the font and
formatting options you want. when you have everything you want, click the
"Default..." button oin the bottom of the dialog. Click Yes to the overwrite
warning.

then...

To set default page setup (margisn, etc.) Click Page Setup... on the FIle
menu.
make the changes you want to save, on all 3 tabs; Margin, Paper, and Layout.
Again clikc "Default..." button at the bottom left of the dialog, and click
yes on the overwrite warning message box.

Basically, any where you can change and save default settins, you will see
the "Default..." button.

If you want to wipe out any customized settings you have changed and start
from scratch:
- close Word
- Find your normal.dot file and delete it. (you can find its location under
the "File Location" tab on the Options dialog box on the Tools menu.
- Open Word. thiswill create a new Normal.dot with "factory" default settings.


I hope this helps.


"Thomas McGregor" wrote:

OK, assume I have a new blank document with my favorite left, right, top and lower margin and my favorite
font. I saved this document into a mydefault.doc file.

How do I setup this document format as my default document format?
In other words: whenever I open Word2003 in the future I want to see this document format
without any further adjustments / selection.

Where do I setup this in the options ?

Do I have to convert this doc file into a dot file?

Moreover I want to put this doc resp dot file into my special private folder "D:\priv\word\"
(not in a WORD setup start folder) is this possible ?

Thomas

For some reason I am not seeing the original post. This response is to that
post.

See http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customizat...alTemplate.htm and
http://addbalance.com/word/defaultfont.htm.

You want a document template. This is a .dot file. If this will have any
text in it, you do not want it to be the normal.dot file. Do not save a
template you have created as normal.dot. Ever.

This file should not go in the Word startup folder. It should go in the User
or Workgroup Templates folder. The folder you are talking about can be
designated as being either of those folders if you want, but you should
understand that Word will be looking for templates there. It you set your
folder as the User Templates folder, Word will create a normal.dot there.
For more on the different kinds of templates, tabs on the file new dialog,
and locations of templates folders see
http://addbalance.com/usersguide/templates.htm.

Before you do this, I would recommend reading the article just referenced
and http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/conc...ion/index.html.
--

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://word.mvps.org/FAQs/ which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
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from my ignorance and your wisdom.

"Thomas McGregor" wrote:

OK, assume I have a new blank document with my favorite left, right, top
and lower margin and my favorite
font. I saved this document into a mydefault.doc file.

How do I setup this document format as my default document format?
In other words: whenever I open Word2003 in the future I want to see this
document format
without any further adjustments / selection.

Where do I setup this in the options ?

Do I have to convert this doc file into a dot file?

Moreover I want to put this doc resp dot file into my special private
folder "D:\priv\word\"
(not in a WORD setup start folder) is this possible ?

Thomas

- On the Tools Menu click Options.

- On the Options dialog, select "File Locations" tab
- Highlight "User Templates"
- Click the "Modify..." button
- Use the "Modify Locatiion" dialog to select the folder you want to use.
If you have any other templates for addins, they will have to be moved to the
new location as well.
- Make sure there is not another copy of Normal.dot in the standard
Templates folder. For Word 2003 look in C:\Program Files\Microsoft
Office\Templates\1033. ( the rive lettere should match the drive you
installed Word).

"Thomas McGregor" wrote:

Moreover I want to put this doc resp dot file into my special private folder "D:\priv\word\"
(not in a WORD setup start folder) is this possible ?

Thomas