Sometimes the evil lurks in what’s supposed to be Word 2016’s main repository of sanity: the Normal template file. To fix the Normal template, you must delete it (or rename it) and then Word automatically builds a new, proper Normal template.
Microsoft Word Mac Normal Template Location Free
All sorts of MS Word and/or Wordfast Classic troubles may be caused by corruption of the the MS Word global template. Its file name is normal.dotm in Word 2007 and newer or normal.dot in Word 2003 and older. Location in Windows. It is usually located in Microsoft's Templates folder: The typical path in Windows 7 and Windows Vista. Jun 21, 2010 The method I suggested gives the location that the normal template is loaded from - i.e. The user templates folder - which is what you requested. There is more than one way to approach this, but if you want to use the alternative you have suggested then the location the template is loaded from would be disclosed by: MsgBox Application. Microsoft state that you need full read/write access to your Normal Template and that it should not be shared, so it is slightly bizarre that Word ever chooses to look in what is intended as a shared location; Word, however, will open (though not automatically save) a shared Normal Template in Read-Only mode.
If you rebuild the Normal template, you’re removing any customizations you’ve added, macros you’ve created, or default settings you’ve modified. On the other hand, those changes may be causing your problem, so it’s time for a fix.
To have Word re-create the Normal template, follow these initial steps to rename the original file:
- Quit Word.
- Press Win+E to summon a File Explorer window.
- Click the Address box to select whatever name appears there.
- Press the Delete key to clear the Address box.
- Type %USERPROFILE%AppDataRoamingMicrosoftTemplates.
As you start typing AppData, you see hints appear below your typing. These hints help to direct you and confirm that you’re on the right track. Eventually, you see the Templates folder. - Right-click on the Normal.dotm file.
The file might show only the first part of the name, Normal. - Choose the Rename command from the shortcut menu.
- Edit the name to Normal-old.dotm or Normal-old.
If you can see the dotm part of the name, don’t change it. - Press Enter to lock in the new name.
Keep the File Explorer window open. - Restart Word.
You don’t need to do anything in Word, though you may notice that any problems you have related to the old Normal template are gone. - Quit Word.
In the File Explorer window, you see the rebuilt Normal.dotm file.
This trick may or may not work, and it does remove any modifications that you’ve made to Word. To restore the original Normal.dotm file, quit Word and rename the file back to Normal.dotm or Normal.
- Word stores its templates in the folder referenced by the pathname you type in Step 5. This location holds true for Word 16 and Office 365. Earlier versions of Word stored the template files in a different location.
- The %USERPROFILE% thing is a Windows environment variable. It represents your account’s home folder on the PC’s primary storage device.
Word Normal Template Location
Perhaps you’ve suspected that Word 2011 must have a special template somewhere that you can use as a default when you create that seemingly plain, blank document. Well, you’re right; this special template is Normal.dotm, and it has all the settings that control what you see when you create a new, blank Word document in Office 2011 for Mac.
The special file Normal.dotm is the template that Word uses to create new documents when you choose File→New Blank Document from the menu bar or open a new, blank document from the Word Document Gallery. As you work, things such as toolbars, AutoText, and certain preferences can be saved into Normal.dotm.
To make a pristine Normal template, locate the file by choosing Word→Preferences→File Locations→User Templates→Location from the menu bar. Then quit Word. Then rename or delete the existing Normal.dotm file. The next time Word opens, it creates a new Normal.dotm file based on default settings.
You can overwrite the Normal.dotm template to use as Word’s default for new documents. Before starting the procedure, make a copy of the existing Normal.dotm file. You also need to know where the Normal template is located. You can find (and modify) the Normal template by choosing Word→Preferences→File Locations→User Templates→Location from the menu bar. When you know where Normal is, take these steps:
From the menu bar in Word, choose File→Open.
Switch the Enable pop-up menu to Word Templates.
Navigate to Normal.dotm and open the file.
Make the modifications you desire.
Choose File→Save from the menu bar, click the Save button, or close the window and choose Save when prompted.
Any new documents you make from then on will be based on the modified Normal.dotm template you saved.
After customizing, make a copy of your new Normal template in case you decide subsequent changes to Normal are not desired. If you want to create an official default template for your organization, create a custom Normal template and distribute it.