Modifying normal.dot settings using the Microsoft Office 2010

Microsoft Office 2010 normal.dot is the default Microsoft Office template file, which is the basis of all the new files that you will create eventually. Microsoft has renamed the file in the newer versions of the productivity suites including Microsoft Office 2007 and Microsoft Office 2010; in these versions, the file is called normal.dotm.

The primary function of the normal.dot or normal.dotm files is to record all changes that you do to your Microsoft Office applications, and serve you results with the changes incorporated, every time thereafter. This means that if you have changed the font style in your Microsoft Word application to let us say, Century Gothic from the default Times New Roman, this modification will be stored in the normal.dot or normal.dotm file (depending on the particular Microsoft Office version that you are using). The next time, after the modification is done, you open this application; you will always have Century Gothic set as the default font style.

Where is the normal.dot file located?

To locate the normal.dot file in Microsoft Word 2007 and Microsoft Word 2010, go to the Search option and type “normal.dotm”.  Click on the Advanced Options and check all the alternatives mentioned there – Search Subfolders, Search System Folders, and even Search Hidden Folders. Try locating the file in the Local Disk C: folder.

How to delete the normal.dot file?

In general practice you will not have to locate the normal.dot file, not unless it has gone corrupt or you have to delete the file for whatever reasons. Since it is an advanced task, it is advised that novice users should not attempt to manipulate the file or delete it or else the process may end up corrupting the application itself.

To delete the file, ensure that the particular application is closed. The application won’t allow you to modify or delete the file when the application is in use.

Locate the file using the above mentioned steps and once you can find it, select the file and press the “Delete” button. Alternatively, you can right-click on them and select the ‘Delete’ option when prompted.

It is important to mention here that even after you have deleted the normal.dot file, Microsoft Word will recreate the file on its own and apply the default settings in the new version. Therefore, all customization you have implemented on the older version (deleted) will be lost.

How to change the default settings in normal.dot?

To change the default settings and set up the Microsoft Word 2007 application as per your preference, follow the easy steps mentioned below:

• Open a Microsoft Word 2007 document
• Go to the Font Dialog Box launcher on the top of the window and click on the ‘Font’ tab
• Set the font, font style, size and scroll to the bottom of the dialog box and click on ‘Default’
• When the confirmation dialog box will be displayed, click on the ‘Yes’ option to apply the changes

Hereafter, the application will open with the font style and size as you have set it. If you further want to modify the page margins, you can follow the below mentioned:

• Go to the Page Layout tab, located near the ‘Insert’ option
• Click on the Page Setup dialog box launcher
• Once the box is displayed, make your changes and scroll to the bottom of the window and click on Default
• When prompted, click on the ‘Yes’ option to confirm to make the changes permanent

If you want to modify the Paper Orientation and Page Layout, you can do so by implementing the same steps as mentioned above and by accessing the respective tabs in the Page Setup dialog box.

Modifying the settings using the normal.dot file isn’t a tough task in Microsoft Office applications. To know more about how to do it in the other applications like Microsoft Excel etc, watch this space. For any immediate queries, do not hesitate to call on our toll free number and speak to an iYogi tech expert.