Can you force Word 2007 to use Normal.dot instead?

[New Daddy]

Here is the situation: I place the normal.dot (and all the other template files) in a Dropbox folder and point to them in the settings. This has worked remarkably well over the years as a way to synchronize my Word working environment across different computers. You create a new macro or change styles at work and come back home, and boom! It's there on your desktop already. Now that I really need to consider upgrading Word, I've now installed Word 2007 on my work computer, as a transitional measure. (Yes, I'm a bit of a Luddite.) The problem is that Word 2007 uses Normal.dotm and this has severed the synchronization between my work computer and home computer. This has proven to be such inconvenience that I'm thinking of downgrading my work computer back to Word 2003.

Question: is there any way to force Word 2007 to use Normal.dot instead of Normal.Dotm?

[Rudi]

I'm not sure if you can get Word 2007 to use a .dot file as its Normal Template, but here is a way to easily convert your current Normal.dot to become the Word 2007 default template (even though it become .dotm again).

1. Shut down Word (including Outlook)
2. Copy your 2003 NORMAL.DOT into your 2007/2010 template folder in your personal profile. Usually found here: %appdata%\Microsoft\Templates
3. Delete or rename the current NORMAL.DOTM
4. Restart Word. (Word is designed to generate a NORMAL.DOT/M if one is not found in the personal profile template folder. However, if Word 2007/2010 cannot find the NORMAL.DOTM file, it will look for a 2003 NORMAL.DOT. If one is found, then it uses the settings (including styles, customizations and macros from the old NORMAL.DOT file) when it re-creates its new NORMAL.DOTM.

[New Daddy]

I'm not sure if you can get Word 2007 to use a .dot file as its Normal Template, but here is a way to easily convert your current Normal.dot to become the Word 2007 default template (even though it become .dotm again).

1. Shut down Word (including Outlook)
2. Copy your 2003 NORMAL.DOT into your 2007/2010 template folder in your personal profile. Usually found here: %appdata%\Microsoft\Templates
3. Delete or rename the current NORMAL.DOTM
4. Restart Word. (Word is designed to generate a NORMAL.DOT/M if one is not found in the personal profile template folder. However, if Word 2007/2010 cannot find the NORMAL.DOTM file, it will look for a 2003 NORMAL.DOT. If one is found, then it uses the settings (including styles, customizations and macros from the old NORMAL.DOT file) when it re-creates its new NORMAL.DOTM.

Thanks for this.

I've followed your instruction, and yes, Word 2007 has converted my Word 2003 normal.dot to its normal.dotm.
I see all the style and macros. But as far as customizations are concerned, I don't think the keyboard shortcuts have been transferred. I didn't expect the other elements of customization - toolbars and menus - to transfer, because Word 2007 has a totally different UI, but I was hoping I could rely on the same combination of keyboard shortcuts. I had so many of them in 2003 that map on styles and macros. (This will be an issue when I ditch 2007 and upgrade to 2013, which I plan to do soon.) Any good ideas?

PS: This may have been a false alarm. Most of the keyboard shortcuts work. I'll report back when I experience non-working keyboard shortcut again.

[DaveA]

If I remember right, if you set the default file to be "Word 97-2003" then Word WILL use the Normal.doc template.

[HansV]

It should have transferred the keyboard shortcuts too...

[New Daddy]

If I remember right, if you set the default file to be "Word 97-2003" then Word WILL use the Normal.doc template.

Nope. I just tried it, but it doesn't work. With the default save option being "Word 97-2003", Word 2007 still tries to save customizations to normal.dotm.

[DaveA]

After you make the change of the default in the Options area, and then open a new document, does it then still save to the dotm template?