WD97: New Style or Changes Unavailable in Master or Subdocument

ID: Q185228

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you create a new style or change an existing style, the new style or your changes to the existing style may not be available to both the master document and subdocument.

Case 1: Style Changes Not Available in Subdocument

This problem may occur if you create a new style or change an existing style in a master document, and then open the subdocument outside of the master document (or within it).

Case 2: Style Changes Not Available in Master Document

This problem may occur if you open a subdocument outside of the master document (or within it), create a new style or change an existing style in the subdocument, and then open the subdocument in the master document.

CAUSE

This functionality is by design if your master document or subdocuments are based on the Normal template (Normal.dot). When you create a document based on the Normal template, Word creates the document as a "snapshot" of the template at that moment in time.

Subsequent changes to the Normal template are not reflected (updated) in existing documents previously created from it; however, these changes will be reflected in any new documents based on the Normal template.

WORKAROUND

Use a Custom Template

To work around this problem, create or change your styles in a custom template, and then base both your master document and all subdocuments on your custom template.

Turn on the "Automatically update document styles" Option:

To allow your custom styles to update automatically, turn on the option in both the master document and each subdocument. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the master document or subdocument.

2. On the Tools menu, click Templates And Add-Ins.

3. Click to select the "Automatically update document styles" check box,

   and then click OK.

4. Repeat steps 1-3 for each master document and subdocument.

When the "Automatically update document styles" option is on, any changes you make to an existing style in either the master document or subdocument are automatically made to (and available in) each document where the style is applied.

For more information about creating a custom template, click Contents and Index on the Help menu, click the Index tab in Microsoft Word Help, type the following text

   templates, creating

and then double-click the selected text to go to the "Create a template" topic. If you are unable to find the information you need, ask the Office Assistant.

Workaround for Normal Template

If you created your master document or subdocuments using the Normal template, use any of the following methods to work around the functionality of the Normal template.

Method 1: Create/Change the Style in Both Master and Subdocument:

Create your new style (or change the existing style) in both the master document and each of the subdocuments.

For more information about how to create a new style, click Contents and Index on the Help menu, click the Index tab in Microsoft Word Help, type the following text

   styles, creating

and then double-click the selected text to go to the "Create new styles" topic.

For more information about changing an existing style, click Contents and Index on the Help menu, click the Index tab in Microsoft Word Help, type the following text

   styles, changing

and then double-click the selected text to go to the "Modify a style" topic.

If you are unable to find the information you need, ask the Office Assistant.

Method 2: Use the Format Painter:

After you open your master document and expand each of your subdocuments, use the Format Painter to copy a style from the master document to a subdocument, or from a subdocument to the master document.

For more information about using the Format Painter, click Contents and Index on the Help menu, click the Index tab in Microsoft Word Help, type the following text

   format painter

and then double-click the selected text to go to the "Copy character and paragraph formats" topic. If you are unable to find the information you need, ask the Office Assistant.

Method 3: Use the Organizer:

Use the Organizer to copy your new or changed styles to each of your subdocuments or to your master document.

For more information about how to copy styles between documents, click Contents and Index on the Help menu, click the Index tab in Microsoft Word Help, type the following text

   styles, copy

and then double-click the selected text to go to the "Copy styles, AutoText entries, toolbars, or macros" topic. If you are unable to find the information you need, ask the Office Assistant.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about master documents, click Contents And Index on the Help menu, click the Index tab in Microsoft Word Help, type the following text (including the comma)

   master documents,

and then click Display. Select the topic you want to know more about and then click Display.

For more information about subdocuments, click Contents And Index on the Help menu, click the Index tab in Microsoft Word Help, type the following text

   subdocuments

and then click Display. Select the topic you want to know more about and then click Display.

If you are unable to find the information you need, ask the Office Assistant.

Additional query words: sub-document sub-doc modify add

Keywords          : kbdta kbtemplate word97 
Version           : WINDOWS:97
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: February 13, 1999