[haskellbob]

how can I preserve or transfer changes made to Word's "normal" when re-installing?

I would like to preserve all the changes I make to Word - toolbars, icons, shortcut keys, etc. when I install Word on a new hard drive.

Aren't all of these changes saved in "Normal", and can I just copy the old "normal" somewhere to re-enact them on a new installation?

Or is there some other way?

Thanks in advance.

Bob

 

[TheGift73]

Re: how can I preserve or transfer changes made to Word's "normal" when re-installing

I have done what you are describing before with no problems. Navigate to the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates folder (This is the file path for my work PC as such I assume your to be similar) and simply delete the Normal.dot file and then replace with your one. I assume that your versions of Word are the same and not one of them 2007 and the other 2003 etc as this may cause conflicts (that's only a guess)

Let me know if that helps.

 

[haskellbob]

Re: how can I preserve or transfer changes made to Word's "normal" when re-installing

I can't find "normal.dot" - not even using Search. What's up with that?
I opted to "view hidden files" in Windows Explorer, and went to Templates, but it's not there.
What now?

 

[KWatkins]

Re: how can I preserve or transfer changes made to Word's "normal" when re-installing

You can find the location of the Normal.dot you are currently using by looking in Options on the Tools menu. On the File Locations tab, it appears at "User templates". This is the file you want to have available again after you re-install. Be sure that you set File Locations to point to it again, wherever you put it, in your new installation.

Alternatively, you can try searching your data directories or, if that fails, your whole hard drive (or, if that fails, all the drives you can see - but run the search over lunch at least!) for any files named Normal.dot. You might well find more than one; if that happens, you can figure out which one contains your customizations by renaming them, one at a time to (for instance) normal.duh and then starting up Word. When you start up and your goodies aren't there, you know that they are in the file you just renamed.

HTH