Microsoft KB Archive/107081

Second Instance of Word 6.0 May Write Over Word 2.0 NORMAL.DOT PSS ID Number: Q107081 Article last modified on 11-30-1993 PSS database name: WM_Word

6.00

WINDOWS

= SYMPTOMS =

If you have both Word 2.x and Word 6.0 for Windows installed on your machine, Word 6.0 may overwrite the Word 2.x NORMAL.DOT file, making it unusable in Word 2.x.

= CAUSE =

If Word 6.0 for Windows is installed in a separate directory on a machine that also has Word 2.x for Windows installed, Word 6.0 can overwrite the Word 2.x NORMAL.DOT file with Word 6.0 format under the following specific circumstances:

  Word 6.0 is running but has no NORMAL.DOT file. (NORMAL.DOT was either deleted or not yet created. The first time you start Word, there is no NORMAL.DOT file; the file is created when Word 6.0 is closed the first time.)   While Word 6.0 is running with no NORMAL.DOT, double-click the icon for Word 2.x.   Since “WINWORD.EXE” is the name of the executable file for both programs and the Word 6.0 executable is already in memory, a second instance of Word 6.0 is started.   The second instance of Word 6.0 will look for a NORMAL.DOT template in the current working directory, which is the Word 2.x program directory. As a result, the second instance of Word 6.0 will load the NORMAL.DOT file from the Word 2.x directory.   When you exit the second instance of Word 6.0, the following message will be displayed: The file NORMAL.DOT is a Word version 2.x for Windows document. Do you want to overwrite it with Word version 6.0 for Windows format? If you answer “Yes,” Word 2.x will not be able to use the NORMAL.DOT file in Word 2.x. 

Additional reference words: 6.00 w4wtemplate

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1993.