WD: Styles Aren't Automatically Updated Attaching to Normal.dot

• Microsoft Word for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

Document styles are not automatically updated after you change the styles in an attached template.

CAUSE

This problem occurs when all of the following conditions are true:

• You create a document that is based on a template other than your current Normal template (Normal.dot).

  For example, you create a new document that is based on the Professional Report.dot template or the document you are working on was created using a different normal.dot, as in the case when you upgrade from Word 95 to 97.

  -and-

• The Automatically Update Document Styles check box is selected.

  -and-

• You attach the document to the Normal template.

This problem occurs because Word retains the styles from the previous template and doesn't make the styles from the Normal.dot template available.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use one of the following methods.

Method 1: Copy the Style to the Document

To copy the style to the document, use the following steps:

1. Open the document in Word.

2. On the Tools menu, click "Templates and Add-ins."

3. Click Organizer.

4. Click the Styles tab.

   The styles in your document are listed on one side of the dialog box and the styles in Normal.dot (global template) are listed on the other side.

   NOTE: If these two files are not open in the organizer, close the file on the appropriate side, and then open the file that is not open.

5. In the Normal.dot list, click the style you want to copy to your document, and then click Copy.

   You should receive the following message:

         Do you wish to overwrite the existing style entry <stylename>?
   

   where <stylename> is the name of the style you want to copy.

6. Click Yes and click Close to close the Organizer.

Method 2: Apply Manual Formatting

To manually apply formatting, use the following steps:

1. Select the text that you want to change.

2. On the Format menu, click Font. Modify the font, and then click OK.

3. On the Format menu, click Paragraph. Modify the paragraph formatting, and then click OK.

Method 3: Change the Applied Style

To change the style, use the following steps:

1. On the Format menu, click Style.

2. Click "All styles" in the list.

3. In the Styles list, click the style you want to change, and then click Modify.

4. In the Modify Style dialog box, do the following:

   a. Click Format and click Font. Modify the font, and then click OK.

   b. Click Format and click Paragraph. Modify the paragraph formatting,

         and then click OK.
   

5. Click OK to close the Modify Style dialog box.

   NOTE: If you click the Add To template check box, the changes you make are applied to all documents you subsequently create. If you want the changes to be applied to only the active document, leave this check box cleared.

6. Click OK to close the Modify Style dialog box.

7. Click Close to close the Style dialog box.

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

   ARTICLE-ID: Q109873
   TITLE     : Envelope Settings Apply Only to Current Document

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

Keywords          : kbtemplate winword word8 word97 kbusage
Version           : 7.0 7.0a 97
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbbug