ARRRGGGGHHHH or templates and formatting in Word

What can you do about word templates that revert to default everytime you close and reopen a file?

 

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Swear a lot.

 

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1. Set it the way you want it
2. Hold down shift.
3. Click 'Save all'. This will save the template and prompt you to save the document if it's a new document. Not sure if cancelling the document save will also cancel the template save. Don't think it will but you could always save the document then delete it afterwards if not required.

Also: if it's the default template you're talking about - 'Normal.dot' - go to:

Tools > Options > 'File Locations' tab, and note where Word saves its templates.

Open 'Normal.dot' in that folder, make the changes you want and then save it. All new documents will then use the changed template. You could, alternatively, save it as a new template (use a .dot instead of .doc extension) and then create new documents based on that template as and when you please.

Questions?

 

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If I already have a ready made template and I just rename it Normal.dot that should work? I will save a back up of the Normal.dot as well.

Also does the template have to be in the same folder as the document? And since I have to do the same crappy formatting on many many computers depending on who I am meeting for this particular document, what is the best way to get around the fact that other people may be unwilling to replace their normal.dot?

A second really aggravating problem. I am writing several chapters for this document and I want the bibliography at the end of each chapter. Automatic biblios go to end of document (from End Note program I use) so I am writing the chapters as separate documents. Since I have figures and tables that use automatic numbering (from the Bullets and Numbering option in the Format menu), I tried to have the chapter numbers start at One, Two etc so that the Figures would be 1.1, 2.1 etc. Now the frikking Word goes to default on this too, so all of them end up as chapter One with figures 1.1, ignoring the fact that I specifically asked that chapter number start at Two.

ARRRGGGGHHHH

 

I'm way beyond that now, I want to chew raw flesh.

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I spent frikking 6 hours today over this.

 

You could do this but if it's only temporary why not just select your ready-made template as the basis when you start a new document? It's up to you, but replacing normal dot will mean switching back and forth every time you want to use the original default template.

No.

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Normal dot should go in Word's Templates folder to avoid complications. Other templates should go there too, unless you want to be really contrary.

Ooh, networking. Not sure. Won't they see the document as you see it? If not then, again, you're probably best sticking with a custom template and emailing them this, or sumthink, or nothink, innit.

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I don't know.

Have you tried clicking the Customise button on the Numbering dialog box and playing around with the formatting there? If not, try that. It's a good way to fuck things up permanently beyond all recognition.

Hope this helps.

 

Okay how do I do that?

I carry around my latest shenanigans on a flash drive.

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If I put the template in the same folder as the document chapters, can I somehow fix it so thats the one the document will use?

Yeah, thats how I set up Chapter number Start at Two. But once I close the document and reopen it, it goes back to one. /sigh

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You can save the template to a flash drive then click File > New...

In my version of Word this gives a panel down the right of the screen with the option 'New from Existing Document..'

Obviously here you can select a document or template - including those on a flash drive, and base the document on that.

But let's go back to the start:

What else is changing besides the numbering? Because I'm a bit stumped about the numbering right now...

Try saving a custom template, closing it and reopening it, and see if the formatting's still as you want it. If so, creating new documents based on that should be fairly easy for us to work through, but first you need to see if the template is retaining its formatting between sessions. If not that needs fixing first.

 

Okay I'll tell you what I am doing now.

I have a ready made template for this type of document, lets call it manuscript.dot. I saved it in a folder, opened a new document, went to Tools>Templates and Add-ins>Document templates>Attach and attached the template to the document before I started writing. Initially while writing the text and inserting figures and tables I ignored any formatting issues preferring to get it all in there first.

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Once I had finished with the writing and had started on the editing, I started the formatting based on Styles in the formatting menu, which shows the available styles in the template you are using.

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Now my problem is that I apply a style, then modify it based on my presentation (example, instead of font size 12 and double space, I want size 11 and 1.5 space); but when I close the file and reopen it, some of it stays formatted as I had done it, some of it gets reverted to default template settings.

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Come on figure it out "Scientist"

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I've been doing it all day today.

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Oh geez, I just discovered one thing, when I checked the Tools>Templates and Add-ins>Document templates>Attach, I discovered the template was still attached but was not ticked, ie not in use. So apparently, opening and closing the file also deselects the bloody template.

Bill Gates, Grrrrrr! :jason:

 

They're horribly fiddly those attachments. I never use them. Probably the attached template is detaching every time you close and reopen the document, so that Word is reverting to default styles.

I'm thinking now that, with such a complicated document, not even a saved template is going to help much. Have you considered recording some macros to help you cut out all the repetitive formatting tasks. You could assign these to new toolbar buttons or to shortcut keys so that clicking the apporopriate button or pressing Ctrl+Alt+1 (or whatever) will instantly apply a format to the selected text.

You could also try saving the styles in Normal.dot itself rather than attaching them, then hold Shift and click File > Save All as mentioned above to save the styles to the Normal template.

 

Again, saving the Normal template with all your add-ins checked will attach them by default. Whatever modifications you want to keep between sessions must be saved to the Normal template.

 

The customized template has macros and stuff, but I'm clueless there. I just had an idea. I'm gonna save the edited parts as a PDF.

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Apple, Microsoft and Adobe.

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You will not.

{Hold Shift} > File > Save All, having first made sure that your add-ins are attached. This will save all your templates. This will solve your problem.

Probably.

 

Too late!!!

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Yaay it works!!

No need to redo shit all the time.

PDF it is!

 

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I have a deadline.

/

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