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: Changing the Attached Template.

Changing the Attached Template

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated February 20, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


1

In Word, a template is used to specify the menu options, the toolbar, and the default styles and text. When you first open a blank document, Word automatically attaches the Normal.dot template to your document, although you can specify a different template. After the file has been created, you can change the attached template by following these steps:

  1. Select Templates and Add-Ins from the Tools menu. Word displays the Templates and Add-Ins dialog box. (See Figure 1.)
  2. Figure 1. The Templates and Add-Ins dialog box.

  3. Click on the Attach button. Word displays the Attach Template dialog box.
  4. Use the controls in the dialog box to locate and select the template you want attached to your document.
  5. Click on Open. The Attach Template dialog box disappears, and the name of the template you selected appears in the Document Template box.
  6. Select the Automatically Update Document Styles check box to make sure that the styles in the template are applied to your document.
  7. Click on OK.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1799) 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: Changing the Attached Template.

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. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Opening a Document as Read-Only

Afraid of messing up an existing document by some changes you are considering? Consider opening the document as ...

Discover More

Copying the Quick Access Toolbar

Customization of Word is done, largely, through what you add to or remove from the Quick Access Toolbar. When you have ...

Discover More

Filling a Range of Cells with Values

When writing a macro, you may want to fill a range of cells with different values. The easiest way to do this is to use ...

Discover More

The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2019. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2019 For Dummies today!

More WordTips (menu)

Listing the Settings in a Template

Templates allow you to define and collect many formatting settings that control how your documents appear. Getting a ...

Discover More

Template Changing On Its Own

When you attach a template to a document, you expect that template to stay attached. When you share the document with ...

Discover More

Finding Where Templates Are Stored

The first step in modifying templates is to find out where they are stored on your system. Here's the easiest way to ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 5 - 0?

2021-02-20 10:49:51

David Oglesby

I do this for every job I do (hundreds of documents). Any time I've modified my Normal.dot template I have to re-attach it to each active document for them to pick up the new changes. After several attempts I've failed to create a macro to automate this process. Is it possible?


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.