In Microsoft Word...

I set my page defaults to 0.7" all around. Every time I open a new word document it goes back to the original settings and I have to change it for each new doc.

Research has shown that it is a "Template" problem. However it does not always occur on all installations, which leads me to believe two things:

1.) It is yet another MS instability. (Microsoft is know for unstable software)

2.) There may be an easy fix I have not yet come across.

Please help... Any info on this would be good.

Thank you.

you may need to modify the template itself, and then save it. There is a feature about some auto-backup thing that saves an updated/modified template but i didn't read up about it..

open the template by browsing to c:\documents and settings\%username%\microsoft\office\templates\normal.dot

change whatever you want, then save like you do a normal word doc. see if that works.

give openoffice a try. www.openoffice.org

Thank you very much for the info. It inspiried me to further dig and I discovered you cannot edit the "normal.dot" file in xp, (that I found),...

However if you open a new doc and set the file up exactly the way you want it, then save it as a ".dot" file... Close everything and move the original "Normal.dot" file to a temp folder. You can then name your new file "Normal.dot" and place it in the templates folder. I rebooted the computer and the next new word document opened with the settings I wanted.

Thank you again.

Most times when there is any problem with Word, I delete all the Normal.dot. You will need to show hidden files and folders:

Control Panel> Folder Options> View> 'show hidden files and folders'
Then search for normal.dot and do a right click> delete on all. Word will then create a new normal.dot template.

Cool, Thanks, I will remember that. I like to use "Ariel 11" in my documents and I got it to default to it. : )

You're welcome. Go back and hide those files again so you don't accidentally delete something! With Word, if something isn't working, always suspect normal.dot template corruption first.