WD2000: "User Options" File Location Path Has No Function

ID: Q191940

The information in this article applies to:
IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" Help topic in Regedt32.exe.


SUMMARY

The User options setting is no longer used as in some earlier versions of Microsoft Word. If a path is set for User options, the path is ignored by Word and has no effect.

To show the User options setting, use the following steps:

  1. On the Tools menu, click Options.


  2. Click the File Locations tab.


  3. In the File types list, select User options. The path for User options will be displayed under Location.


NOTE: The Location path for User options is blank by default. This option is not used in Word 2000.


MORE INFORMATION

The purpose of the User options file location in some earlier versions of Word is to point to the location of the Winword.opt file. Winword.opt is a binary file that some earlier versions of Word for Windows use to store user preference settings. Most user preferences are set when you click Options on the Tools menu and make changes to the various tabs. Word 2000 does not use an .opt file to store user preferences; instead, Word uses the Windows Registry to store the settings of user preferences.

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. 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" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it. If you are running Windows NT, you should also update your Emergency Repair Disk (ERD).


In Word 2000, user preferences are stored in the Windows Registry in the following registry keys: 


   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Word\Data 


   -and- 


   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Word\Options


NOTE: If a path is set for User options, an INI-PATH string value will be set in the Options registry key; however, because Word no longer uses this setting, it will be ignored.

Additional query words: 


Keywords          : kbdta wd2000 
Version           : WINDOWS:2000
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbinfo

Last Reviewed: May 13, 1999