Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Finding Where Templates Are Stored.

Finding Where Templates Are Stored

by Allen Wyatt
(last updated September 16, 2017)

1

It is unfortunate that Microsoft does not make it easier to modify templates. The first step in modifying templates is to load one, and that means you need to know where they are stored on disk. Regrettably, the average user hasn't a clue where they are stored on disk. The problem is that even Word Help cannot say exactly where the templates folder is on any particular computer.

If you want to know where your templates are stored, follow these steps:

  1. Choose Options from the Tools menu. Word displays the Options dialog box.
  2. Choose the File Locations tab. (See Figure 1.)

    3. Figure 1. The File Locations tab of the Options dialog box.

  3. In the File Types list, choose User Templates. If the path for the templates is short enough, you may be able to see it in the dialog box right now. If so, you can skip steps 4 and 5.
  4. Click the Modify button (even though you won't be modifying anything.). Word displays the Modify Location dialog box.
  5. The Look In drop-down list, at the top of the dialog box, contains the current path name used for templates.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (862) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Finding Where Templates Are Stored.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He  is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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What is one more than 2?

2018-05-02 15:52:26

Grant

Choose Options from the Tools menu

Where is the Tools menu? I don't see it in the ribbon at the top. Can't find it when I click File.

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