OK, this could turn into a very large subject, because the Normal template
is at the heart of everything Word does.
If you Save As, and set the Type to Template, and choose the correct folder,
you will overwrite the current Normal template.
You can have an unlimited number of files named Normal.dotm on a computer.
However, there can only be ONE loaded in memory by the current instance of
Word. That's the one that is "in use".
The Normal template must always go into the User space: it is totally
specific to the logged in user. Word uses the Normal template as its
scratch-pad, recording all sorts of things the user wants retained, such as
formatting settings, view settings, autotext entries. There are more than a
thousand pieces of information saved in the Normal template.
I don't know who gave you the advice not to alter the MS Normal: I can't
imagine that they would have offered such as an unqualified suggestion. If
they did, it is "wrong" :-) You can, and should, alter the Normal template
to have Word behaving exactly as you want it. As Clive says, "Bend Word to
Your Will."
I do recall advising people not to alter the Normal STYLE without giving it
some thought. Because in a typical document, MOST formatting settings are
ultimately based upon Normal style. Some changes you could make to Normal
Style would instantly be inherited by every other class of formatting in the
document. And yes, the Normal style is stored in the Normal template!
Word is an "object-oriented" application. Among other things, this means
that everything in Word is strung together in Hierarchies, and each
lower-level member inherits some or all of its properties from the object
above it.
The Normal Template sits between Word and every other file that is open, and
acts as a "lender of last resort" for things such as Styles.
The Normal template does not need to exist as a file. In Mac Word, it
almost always DOES exist as a file: but it doesn't have to. There is a
default set of properties hard-coded into the Word application. If you
remove the Normal template, it will immediately create a fresh one (on the
Mac) containing the default properties for everything.
There: That just scratches the surface: ask if you would like more.
Cheers
On 29/04/08 2:30 AM, in article ee8c075.31 DeleteThis @webcrossing.caR9absDaxw,
"DVC@officeformac.com" wrote:
> Good thread, but when one Saves As Normal does that wipe-out the Normal that
> MS ships? Because, if it does, then one is going against the advice to not
> alter the MS Normal.
>
> If it doesn't overwrite the MS Normal, it seems very strange to have two files
> with the same name that do almost the same thing.
>
> Perhaps the templete you save goes into your User space, but so far this
> hasn't been mentioned.
--
Don't wait for your answer, click here:
http://www.word.mvps.org/
Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.
John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Nhulunbuy, NT, Australia. mailto:john@mcghie.name
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