How to Rebuild User Preference and Options Settings

ID: Q196020

The information in this article applies to:


IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, you should first make a backup copy of the registry files (System.dat and User.dat). Both are hidden files in the Windows folder.

SUMMARY

This article describes how to rebuild user preferences and user option settings in Microsoft Word 97.

Word stores user preferences and option settings in the following Registry keys: 


   User Preferences
   ----------------


HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word\Data 



   User Options
   ------------


HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word\Options


MORE INFORMATION

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall Windows 95. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the Changing Keys And Values online Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe). Note that you should make a backup copy of the registry files (System.dat and User.dat) before you edit the registry.

To rebuild the Word Data and Options Registry keys, do the following:

  1. Quit all applications.


  2. Click the Windows Start button, and then click Run.


  3. In the Open box, type "regedit" (without the quotation marks), and then click OK.


  4. Go to the following Registry key:
    User Preferences
    ----------------
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word\Data

    NOTE: The Status bar will display the following:
    My Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office \8.0\Word\Data

    User Options
    ------------
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word\Options

    NOTE: The Status Bar will display the following:
    My Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office \8.0\Word\Options



  5. Click the Registry key to select it.


  6. On the Registry menu, click Export Registry File, type a file name, and then click Save.


  7. On the Edit menu, click Delete.


  8. Close the Registry.


NOTE: Repeat steps 4-7 to export and delete both keys, as necessary.

When you restart Word, new settings will be stored in the Data and Options registry keys.

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 


   ARTICLE-ID: <LINK TYPE="ARTICLE" VALUE="Q121709">Q121709</LINK> 

   TITLE     : WD: How to Ignore User Settings When You Start Word

Additional query words: 8.0 Word8 rename delete restore rebuild options tshoot troubleshoot troubleshooting refresh registry regedit register howto 


Keywords          : kbdta winword word97 
Version           : 
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbhowto

Last Reviewed: January 22, 1999