Template in Word 2008

[pm-r]

And here's yet another method:
How to Create a Letterhead Template in Word for Mac
http://ask.brothersoft.com/how-to-create-a-letterhead-template-in-word-for-mac-205663.html

Or try the method I suggested in my #15 post.

Some of these methods seem overly complicated and not the easiest thing to do for some users.




- Patrick
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[bootsontrail]

In #15, if I choose Normal.dotm from the list, I get something like 'cannot open because there are problems with the contents'

In #21, what I get on my screen does not match what the step-by-step instructions say will appear.

In User Templates and My Templates, both are now Word defaults. Before I changed, one was Pages and the other was Word, even though they both opened in Pages before when I clicked on them.

When I'm in User Templates, Normal.dotm opens named Document1 with the wrong specs when I click on it.

When I'm in My Templates, same as above.

In both cases, if I rename Document1 as Normal.dotm and Save, the name changes accordingly, but when I look at either file name in the menu, the date is not today, which is July 3.

When I quit Word and re-open, the blank doc's name is Template1 with the wrong specs.

When I go to the Documents folder on my hard drive, there's a Normal.dotm file dated July 3. When I click on it, it opens as Document1 with the wrong specs.

 

[pm-r]

In both cases, if I rename Document1 as Normal.dotm and Save, the name changes accordingly, but when I look at either file name in the menu, the date is not today, which is July 3.

It sounds like your Word template stuff is in a bit of a non-working mess.

As I recall with Word, one had to use the "Insert Date" for the date if one wanted it to change to the date of composition, otherwise, straight text was used instead. I think there's an option somewhere. I seldom use Word.

BTW: Have you tried using my suggestion of creating a "Stationary File" of your correctly formatted .doc and use it for a template. Just save it somewhere handy and it might work better for you.




- Patrick
======

 

[Slydude]

Its been a looong time since I used that version of Word. See if it has an Insert menu. Date should be one of the options though the specific option that you want might be in a submenu.

 

[bootsontrail]

The Help instructions give the "Stationery pad" means. I followed them and if I open the doc I named WordTemplate, it opens with the specs I want. But if I quit Word and re-open, the blank doc that comes up is Template1 with the wrong specs.

This iMac is a few months old. I had the contents of my dead iMac transferred to this one. That included Office, which includes Word 2008 12.3.6

I never had this problem on the now-dead iMac. I created the Word doc specs I wanted — I suppose by changing and saving the default doc that came up — and from then on every blank Word page that came up had those specs.

I don't understand why that's not happening on the new iMac, especially since the Word that's on it came from the now-dead iMac.

 

[MacInWin]

Ah, new news! Microsoft products do not migrate well from one system to another because of the security MS uses. You would be much better served to uninstall and reinstall Word and register it freshly with MS. That process will renew the Normal.dotm file and then you can create a new template with whatever standards you want.

 

[bootsontrail]

It's Word 2008 12.3.6

Insert has Date&Time in the pull-down menu. It gives a list of formats for inserting the date, with or without the time. See below. It seems Word is not updating the file I'm in but a file with the same name in a different folder.

This is probably a clue to what's going on: When I open Word, it opens a blank page named Template1. If I try to rename that doc as Normal.dotm, the screen tells me I can't rename an open doc.

That must mean what Word is calling Template1 is really Normal.dotm

But still, I changed three Normal.dotm files in the User Templates, My Templates and Documents folders to my specs, but Word opens Template1 with the wrong specs.

Of the three Normal.dotm files I changed the specs in, the only one that showed the date of my change was in the Documents folder.

Maybe that means that although it appears to me that I'm changing Normal.dotm in User Templates and My Templates, what's really happening that I don't see is I'm serially changing the Normal.dotm in the Documents folder, but when Word opens to Template1 (actually Normal.dotm) it's using the unchanged version in User Templates or My Templates.

If so, how do I change the specs in the Normal.dotm files in the User Templates and My Templates folders?

It seems the path embedded in the software is wrong.

 

[bootsontrail]

Do you mean ditch Word 2008 and buy the newest version?

Would that mean buying the whole Office group?

Would my thousands of Word docs created over more than 20 years be preserved?

 

[chscag]

You can continue to use Word 2008 as it still works even in High Sierra. And yes, if you upgrade Word it means purchasing the entire Office Suite or a subscription to Office 365.

Upgrading Word does not remove your docs or personal templates. I have upgraded Word many times over the years and have never lost a single document or template.

 

[IWT]

Upgrading Word does not remove your docs or personal templates. I have upgraded Word many times over the years and have never lost a single document or template.

Ditto.

Ian

 

[bootsontrail]

My version is 12.3.6

What's the newest version?

 

[pm-r]

My version is 12.3.6
…

That's what my MS Office 2008 Word.app is as well.

Personally, I'm surprised that it's not working as expected and I'd be doubtful that a newer version install would improve things.

I'm also surprised that the Stationary file isn't working, and are you sure you did it correctly and you could check what these say:
https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/mac-file-templates-finder-stationery-pad/
https://support.apple.com/kb/PH25299?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

or some others here:
mac create stationary pad template
https://www.google.com/search?clien...te++stationary+pad+template&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

PS: My Word is on an old non-booted partition and the Stationary Pad method works just fine on a custom document I created.




- Patrick
======

 

[bootsontrail]

Yes, I'm sure I did it correctly. Those instructions are at Help — Templates.

I think the problem is Word shows Template1, but that file is actually Normal.dotm.

But I can't find a way to change the specs in Normal.dotm in either the User Templates or My Templates folder.

 

[pm-r]

Yes, I'm sure I did it correctly. Those instructions are at Help — Templates.

I think the problem is Word shows Template1, but that file is actually Normal.dotm.

But I can't find a way to change the specs in Normal.dotm in either the User Templates or My Templates folder.

As it all worked so well for you before, I'd sure have to suspect that there's something that HS OS 10.13.5 is doing or not doing in order to goof some Word things up.


PS: Anything you could at least try or test from here???
https://templates.office.com/




- Patrick
======

 

[bootsontrail]

I suspect you're right about 10.13.5 not agreeing with Word 12.3.6

The current Word costs $130 for one machine. I'll soon buy a new MacBook and transfer Office to it from my old MacBook.

That probably means I'll have the same problem there.

So $260 for the only incompatibility I've found so far.

I don't want any of those pre-made templates.

I want to make and use the same simple template I created about 20 years ago and have used for hundreds or even thousands of Word docs.

 

[pm-r]

I want to make and use the same simple template I created about 20 years ago and have used for hundreds or even thousands of Word docs.

Do I dare mention trying Pages to do and use for your Word stuff???

Just maybe it will work as you want and save some money???




- Patrick
======

 

[bootsontrail]

Sure, you can mention it, but I won't do it.

I've been working in Word since the first Mac I bought way back when.

I also worked in Word on every job I've had since computers came into the world.

I have hundreds if not thousands of docs saved in Word.

I'm not going to change horses at this point in the stream.

I'd sure like to find a solution for what seems to be a pretty simple problem.

Having spent about $1600 for the iMac and having another $1300 bill coming up for a laptop,
I'm not feeling real happy about another $260 for a software app I already have.

 

[pm-r]

I'd sure like to find a solution for what seems to be a pretty simple problem.

That would be nice and I guess back to some of the Mac Word forums and some google searching and maybe even Apple and/or Microsoft have a solution.

Sorry, but I'm out of any more ideas or suggestions.




- Patrick
======

 

[ferrarr]

Just as an FYI, and I stopped using Microsoft products a while ago, but Office for Mac 2008 and 2011 "used to" be able to be installed on two Macs, the only caveat was that, only one instance could be used at a time. I believe it still works that way for newer versions of Office as well, well for winOS PC's it does anyway.

Did you uninstall Office for Mac 2008, and then reinstall it?

Did you try creating a new user account on your Mac and see if that is affected the same way?

 

[bootsontrail]

When I bought Office, it was a license for three machines. One was my desktop, the second was my laptop, the third went unused.

When I looked for the latest version of Word, I found it was $130 for one machine.

I haven't tried uninstalling and reinstalling Office. What's the procedure?

I don't understand your question about creating a new user account. Do you mean with Apple? Microsoft? Something else?