Frequently asked questions about the location of templates in Word 2003 or in Word 2007

This article contains the answers to some of the more frequently asked questions about the location of templates in Microsoft Office Word 2003 or in Microsoft Office Word 2007.

Q1: Where Are the Document Templates Located That Are Installed by Word 2003 or by Word 2007?

A1: During the installation of Word 2003 or Word 2007, all the document templates are installed to the following folder: When you click My computer in the Templates section of the New Document task pane, the Templates dialog box appears. These templates are "advertised" and are divided among the various tabs. If you view the \Templates\1033 folder, you will not see any folders.

Q2: Where Are My Normal.dot and Custom Templates Saved?

A2: The global template (Normal.dot) is classified as a "user" template and is saved to a different location than the other templates. When you create a new template, the template is saved to a location that is common to the particular user instead of with the installed Word templates. By default, custom "user" templates (including Normal.dot) are saved to the following folder: Note Username is the logon name of the user.

Q3: Where Are My Word Add-in Files Saved?

A3: Add-ins are supplemental programs that you install to extend the capabilities of Word by adding custom commands and specialized features. When you load a template or add-in (In Word 2003, on the Tools menu, click Templates and Add-ins. In Word 2007, click the Microsoft Office Button, click Word Options, and then click the Add-Ins tab.), it remains loaded for the current Word session only. If you quit and then restart Word, the template or add-in is not automatically reloaded. To have a template or an add-in available whenever you start Word, store the add-in or the template in the Word Startup folder.

Note In Word 2003, to locate or change the Word Startup setting, click Options on the Tools menu, and then click the File Locations tab. In Word 2007, click the Microsoft Office Button, click Word Options, click the Advanced tab, and then click File Locations. The default location for the Startup folder in Word 2003 or in Word 2007 is as follows: Note Username is the logon name of the user.

When you install a program (add-in) that is designed to work with Word 2003 or with Word 2007, the add-in program typically installs certain files to this folder. When Microsoft Word starts, it checks this Startup folder to load the necessary add-in files.

Note If you installed Word 2003 or Word 2007 to the same location where you installed Microsoft Word 2002 and you had templates and add-ins, Word 2003 or Word 2007 still loads and uses those templates and add-ins.

Q4: How Do I Add a New Tab for My Custom Templates?

A4: To add a tab to the Templates dialog box, you must add a new folder to: Note Username is the logon name of the user.

If you do not add the new folder to this location, the tab will not appear in the Templates dialog box.

Note The location of your user templates may be different on your system.

To see where your user templates are located, follow these steps:

Word 2003

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. On the File Locations tab, click User Templates, and then click Modify.

Word 2007

1. Click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Word Options.
2. Click the Advanced tab, and then click File Locations.
3. In the File Locations dialog box, select User templates, and then click Modify.

The location of your custom templates is displayed in the Folder name box.

To add a new tab to the Templates dialog box, follow these steps:

1. In Word 2003, design a document to be a template, and then on the File menu, click Save As.
   
   In Word 2007, design a document to be a template, click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Save As.
2. Change the Look in box to your User Templates folder.
3. On the Save As toolbar, click Create New Folder.
4. In the Name box, type the name that you want for your new tab, and then click OK.
5. Type a name for your new template, and then click Save.

Note Your new tab does not appear in the Templates dialog box until you save a Word document or template to the new folder.

Q5: How Do I Add a Custom Template to an Existing Tab?

A5: Although folders are not associated with the built-in tabs that appear in the Templates dialog box in Word, you can still put a custom template in one of these tabs. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Start Microsoft Windows Explorer, find the folder where your custom templates are saved. By default, this folder is as follows:
   C:\Documents and Settings\Username\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates
   Note Username is the logon name of the user.
2. Create a new folder with the same name as the tab where you want your custom template to appear.
   
   For example, if you have a memo template that is named MyMemo.dot that you want to appear on the Memos tab, create a new folder named Memos. Or if you have a template that you want to appear on the Publications tab, create a folder named Publications.
   
   Note The folder name must match the name that appears on the tab.
3. Copy your template in the new folder that you just created.

The template now appears on the specified tab.

Q6: How Do I Prevent a Default Tab from Appearing?

A6: You can prevent a default tab from appearing in the Templates dialog box by marking them as not available in the Setup program.

Q7: How Can I Rename a Default Tab?

A7: You cannot rename a default tab that appears in the Templates dialog box, Word internally creates the default tabs that appear.

For additional information about template locations, type About template locations in Microsoft Word Help.