Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 24, 2020)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Have you ever looked at the different settings you can configure in the Options dialog box? There are well over a hundred different settings. If you count the secondary dialog boxes accessible from the Options dialog box, there are many, many more settings. This, of course, doesn't count the settings you may make on other dialog boxes in Word.
Suffice it to say that there are many, many different settings you can modify in order to configure the way that Word does its work. With so many settings, you might start to wonder where they are all stored.
There are three general places that Word stores most settings: documents, templates, and the Registry. Settings related to formatting, menus, and toolbars are stored in either documents or templates—most often in the Normal.dot template. The majority of settings that you make in the Options dialog box are stored in the Registry. The exact locations in the registry are too numerous to mention here, but there is a very helpful Knowledge Base article that lays out all the various locations:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/212242
It is important to remember that Word utilizes many tools that are not unique to Word, but are applicable to other programs in the Office suite. Tools such as AutoCorrect, the spell checker, and others have their own settings, and their own files and Registry keys where the settings are stored.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (3356) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.
Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 2013 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access) with VBA programming, using it for writing macros, automating Office applications, and creating custom applications. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2013 today!
Word maintains a list of the fonts most recently used in the program. You can't modify the list, but you can turn it on ...
Discover MoreUsually when you are done working on a document, you want to close Word completely and move on to something else. There ...
Discover MoreWhen you install Microsoft Office, you are required to enter a product key that unlocks the software for your use. This ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
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.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2023 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments