Microsoft KB Archive/58916

Changing the Default Directory of Word for Windows PSS ID Number: Q58916 Article last modified on 08-15-1994

1.00 1.10 1.10a 2.00

WINDOWS

= SUMMARY =

The default directory that Microsoft Word for Windows opens files from and saves files to is the directory from which Word for Windows was started.

There is no WIN.INI setting for specifying the default directory where Word for Windows 1.x should look for .DOC files. Use the Macro Method listed below for Word for Windows versions 1.0, 1.1, 1.1a.

More Information:

Note: The following routines assume that Word for Windows appears in the PATH statement in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

Word for Windows Version 2.0
To change the path, choose Options from the Tools menu, and select the WIN.INI icon. Select DOC-path=C:from the Startup Options box, and enter a new path in the Setting box.

[Microsoft Word 2.0] DOC-path=c:

In Word for Windows to change the path, choose Options from the Tools menu, and select the Win.ini icon. Select DOC-path=Cfrom the Startup Options box, and enter a new path in the Setting box.

Full Windows
If you are using a full version of Windows, use the following batch file from the command prompt to start Word for Windows in a specific directory (MYDOCS, in this example):

cd c: WIN winword

Macro Method
The following method involves defining an auto macro that changes the current directory every time you start Word for Windows:


 * 1) From the Macro menu, choose Record.
 * 2) Type “AutoExec” (without the quotation marks) as the macro name.
 * 3) From the File menu, choose Open.
 * 4) Type C:*.DOC (where MYDOCS is the name of the directory you want the current directory to be) in the filename entry field and choose the OK button.
 * 5) Select the Cancel button in the Open dialog box.
 * 6) From the Macro menu, choose Stop Recorder.
 * 7) When you exit Word, Word prompts you to “Save global glossary and command changes?” Choose the Yes button.

Icon Properties Method
This procedure works only if you are using Microsoft Windows version 3.0:

  In the Program Manager, select the Word for Windows icon.   From the File menu, choose Properties.   In the Command Line box, type the full path to the directory you want to be the default, and to that path, append WINWORD.EXE. For example, if you want C:to be your default directory, type c:.exe and choose the OK button.   When the error message “The specified path is invalid” appears, choose the OK button.   From the File menu, choose Properties.   Choose the Change Icon button.   Type the real path to the Word for Windows executable file (WINWORD.EXE), and choose the OK button twice.   When the error message “The specified path is invalid” appears, choose the OK button. </li></ol>

After you perform this procedure, when you load Word for Windows and choose Open from the File menu, the C:directory is accessed. Also, all files are saved to this directory unless you specify a different directory.

Run-Time Windows
If you are using run-time Windows, you can create the following batch file to start Word in a specific directory (MYDOCS, in this example):

cd c: winword

Reference(s):

“Microsoft Word for Windows User’s Guide,” version 2.0, page 805

Additional reference words: w4wmacro personal startup 1.00 1.10 1.10a 2.00 2.0 1.0 1.1 1.1a

=
================================================================

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1994.