Article ID: 181471
Article Last Modified on 5/7/2007
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft Word 97 Standard Edition
This article was previously published under Q181471
IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry
SUMMARY
This article describes various methods for resetting user options and registry settings in Microsoft Word.
MORE INFORMATION
There are two basic kinds of options that the user can define in Word. The first kind affects the way the program operates. The information for this kind of option is usually stored in the Windows registry. The second kind of option affects the formatting or appearance of one or more documents. The information for this option is stored in templates or documents.
When you troubleshoot odd behavior in the program or in a document, first eliminate the possibility that the problem is caused by a combination of options and formatting. If the behavior occurs in multiple documents, it may be useful to reset the user settings to the "factory" defaults either temporally or permanently. To do this, use one of the methods listed in the following table.
Method Result
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Hold SHIFT to prevent automatic macros from starting. Temporary
Start Word with the /a switch. Temporary
Rename the Normal template. Temporary or
Permanent
Edit or delete registry entries. Permanent
Holding the Shift Key
Word reserves special names for macros that you can create to automatically alter the way Word behaves. These are called "auto" macros. The auto macros in Microsoft Word are listed in the following table.
Macro Storage location Automatically Runs
---------------------------------------------------------------------
AutoExec In the Normal template When Word is started
or in a global add-in
AutoNew In a template When a new document that is
based on the template is
created
AutoOpen In document or template When a document that is
based on the template or that
contains the macro is opened
AutoClose In document or template When a document that is
based on the template or that
contains the macro is closed
AutoExit In the Normal template When Word is quit
or a global add-in
Word recognizes a macro with a name that begins with "Auto" as a macro that automatically runs when the situation to which it applies occurs. You can prevent an auto macro from running by holding down the SHIFT key while performing the action that causes the macro to run.
Starting Word Using /A
Starting Word by using /a on a command line causes Word to use the default settings for all options and prevents add-ins from being loaded.
The /a switch allows you to start Word without loading the following components:
- The global template (Normal.dot)
- Any add-in templates in the Startup folder
- Any add-in libraries (.wll files)
- User settings stored in the Data key in the Windows registry.
NOTE: When you start Word with the /a switch, changes you make in Word that affect any of these components are not written to the hard disk when you quit Word, and the changes are lost.
For the following example, assume that Word is located in the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office folder.
To start Word 97 by using /a, follow these steps:
NOTE: Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.
- Click Run on the Start menu.
- In the Run dialog box, click Browse.
- Use the Look In box to locate Winword.exe, and then select it. Then click Open. This step fills in the Open box in the Run dialog box.
- In the Open box, move the insertion point after Winword.exe.
NOTE: The path to the Winword.exe in the Run dialog box is enclosed in quotation marks. Be sure to move the insertion point to the right of the closing quotation mark. - Type a space, and then type /a.
The statement in the Open box should resemble the following:"C:\PROGRAM FILES\MICROSOFT OFFICE\OFFICE\WINWORD.EXE" /A
If starting the program with the /a switch corrects the problem, use the following methods to further isolate the problem.
Renaming the Normal Template
To prevent formatting, AutoText, and macros that are stored in the Normal template (Normal.dot) from affecting behavior of the program and documents that are opened, rename Normal.dot. Renaming allows you to quickly determine whether the Normal template is causing the problem or behavior.
NOTE: Renaming the Normal.dot template resets several options back to the default settings, including custom styles, custom toolbars, macros, and AutoText entries. For this reason, Microsoft strongly recommends that you rename the Normal.dot file.
Certain kinds of configurations may create more than one Normal.dot file. These situations include cases in which multiple versions of Word are running on the same computer or cases in which several workstation installations exist on the same computer. In these situations, be sure to rename the correct copy of Normal.dot.
To rename the Normal.dot file, follow these steps:
NOTE: Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.
- Quit all instances of Word, including WordMail.
- On the Windows taskbar, click Start, point to Find, and click Files or Folders.
- In the Named box, type Normal.dot.
- In the Look In box, select your local hard disk drive (or an alternate user template location if you are running Word from a network server).
- Click Find Now to search for the file.
- For each occurrence of Normal.dot that appears in the Find dialog box, right-click the file. Click Rename on the shortcut menu. Type a new file name, such as OldNormal.dot or Normal-1.dot and press ENTER.
- Quit the find dialog box and restart Word normally (without using the /a switch).
If Word starts correctly, you have resolved the problem. In this case, the problem is a damaged Normal.dot template. You may need to change a few settings to restore your favorite options. If the Normal.dot file you renamed contains customizations, such as styles, macros, or AutoText entries that cannot be easily recreated, you may be able to copy those customizations from the old Normal.dot file to the new Normal.dot file by using the Organizer.
For more information about using the Organizer, click the Office Assistant, type "using the Organizer," click Search, and then click "Use settings from another document or template."
Deleting Registry Entries
WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
Deleting the Data Key:
NOTE: Deleting the Data key resets several options back to the default settings, including the File menu most recently used file list, and many settings you customize in the Options dialog boxes.
Most common options (click Options on the Tools menu) are stored in the Data key. One troubleshooting step is to delete the Data key. Word rebuilds this Data key by using the default settings the next time the program is started.
To delete the Data key, follow these steps:
NOTE: Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.
- Quit all instances of Word, including WordMail.
- On the Windows taskbar, click the Start button and click Run.
- In the Open box, type regedit, and click OK.
- Locate the following key by double-clicking the appropriate folders.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word\Data - With the Data folder selected (on the left), click Delete on the Edit menu to delete the key.
- Click Yes when you are prompted to confirm the deletion.
- Quit the registry editor and restart Word normally (without using the /a switch).
If Word starts correctly, you have resolved the problem. The problem is a damaged Data key. You may need to change a few settings to restore your favorite options.
To edit or delete other registry entries:
Use the preceding steps but substitute the correct registry key in step 4, and then use Modify or Delete in step 5.
NOTE: Some keys are automatically rebuilt when you run Word. To rebuild other keys, you must reinstall the program by using the /y switch on the command line to recreate the correct entry. For more information see the following section.
USING SETUP /Y
The /y switch prevents Setup from copying files. Setup proceeds normally, including setting registry entries; however, it does not copy any files to the computer. Use this switch to restore registry entry values or to track down process problems without copying files.
This switch may be used when running Microsoft Office 97 Setup in maintenance mode, for example:
\setup.exe /y
Where Settings Are Stored in the Registry
Word 97 stores all of its settings in the Windows registry; Word 97 no longer stores information in an *.ini file or in the Winword.opt file as do Word 2.x and 6.x. This section lists the settings in the registry that pertain to Word 97. The locations are organized into the following sections:
- Main locations of Word settings
- Settings in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word
- Settings in HKEY\CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Common
- Settings in HKEY\CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MS Setup (ACME)
- Settings in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools
- Miscellaneous settings
- Using the RegOptions macro
Main Locations of Word Settings
Most settings in Word are stored in the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word
Changes made to this HKEY_CURRENT_USER key are mirrored in the following key:
HKEY_USERS\Default\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word
The difference between the two locations is that first one applies only to the current user of the system while the other one is the default for all users. However, Word entries are the same for both; so, any change made to one is automatically reflected in the other.
NOTE: For the remainder of this section, all references to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER key apply also to the HKEY_USERS key except where noted.
Settings in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word
The settings that you may need to examine during troubleshooting are located in this key. The Data key and the Options key are the most frequently changed areas.
Data Key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word\Data
The Word 97 for Windows equivalent to the Word 6.x Winword.opt file is the Data key. This key contains binary information for most recently used lists, including the most recently used file list and the most recently used address book list. It also contains the same information that is stored in the Winword.opt file in Word for Windows 6.x, such as Track Changes settings (Revision settings in Word 6.x) and Edit settings.
Default Save Key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word\Default Save
This key sets the default format for saving documents. You can change the default format Word 97 uses by changing the Save Word Files As setting in Word. To locate this option in Word, click Options on the Tools menu, and then click the Save tab.
Options Key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word\Options
This key stores the options that you can set from Word either by changing menu options or by running the RegOptions macro. These are the editable options.
The settings fall into two groups: default settings and optional settings. Default settings are established during Setup. You can change them by modifying options in Word. Optional settings are not created during Setup; to add them you must run the RegOptions macro.
These default settings are the following:
AutoSpell Turns Automatic spell checking on or
off
AutoGrammar Turns Automatic grammar checking on or
off
AutoSave-Path Sets default folder for "autosave"
documents
BackgroundPrint Turns background printing on or off
BackgroundSave Turns background saving on or off
EnableMacroVirus Turns macro warning on or off
NoEditTime Turns on and off recording of edit time
in statistics
Picture-Path Sets the path for clip art
PlainTextAutoFormat Sets Autoformat for WordMail documents
ProgramDir Sets the Word program folder
Startup-Path Sets the path for the startup folder
StartWhatIsNew Turns What Is New screen on and off at
startup
Tools-Path Sets alternative locations for proofing
tools
Wordmail-Path Sets WordMail directory path
WPHelp Turns WordPerfect Help on or off
The optional settings are the following:
Bak-Extension Sets default extension for backup files
BitMapMemory Sets memory for internal graphics cache
CacheSize Sets internal document text cache for
Word
DateFormat Sets the default date format for Word
Doc-Extension Sets the default extension for Word
documents
Doc-Path Sets the default path for documents
saved in Word
Dot Extension Sets the default extension for templates
in Word
OleDot Sets the default template used to create
document objects in Word or other OLE
applications
SlowShading For printers with special drawing
function, allows shading of graphics
TimeFormat Sets the default time format for Word
UpdateDictionaryNumber Sets the default order for custom
dictionaries
User Dot Path Sets the default path for User
templates
Workgroup Dot Path Sets the default path for Workgroup
templates
Help Key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word\Help\Files
This key contains the paths for the Word Help files. Word Help, WordPerfect Help, and Visual Basic Help paths are found here.
HTML Key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word\HTML
This key contains the default settings for the Web Authoring feature. The default settings are the following:
AutoUpDate Sets the date to check the Web for updates
AutoUpdateAddress Sets the Web address to check for Web
updates
Bullet Path Sets the path for Web graphical bullets
Clipart URL Sets the Web address for new Web clipart
Dlg Bullet Path Sets the path for basic Web bullets
Dlg HorizontalLine Sets the path for basic Web lines
HorizontalLine Path Sets the path for Web graphical lines
LocalContent Sets the location for documents containing
default content used by the Web page
wizard
LocalPageStyles Sets the location for .gif files, backgrounds,
and templates used by the Web page wizard
WebArt Path Sets the path for local clipart
Stationery Key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word\Stationery
This key contains the default location for the template for WordMail and the links to find the template.
The four settings are the following:
Cfg File Location Sets the path to the WordMail folder
Default Template Sets the path to the template (by default,
Email.dot)
DlgDefTpl Shows a link to the default template
Option Shows a link to the default template
Text Converters Key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word\Text Converters
This key contains registration information for text converters for Word. It includes the keys for import and export converters. Each converter registers its extension, name, and path in this key.
NOTE: Three uncommon converters registered in this key are the Schedule Plus converter, the MSPAB converter, and the Microsoft Outlook converter. These converters allow you to import contact lists through an Address book.
The paths are the following:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word\Text Converters\Import\Splus
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word\Text Converters\Import\MSPAB
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word\Text Converters\Import\OUTLOOK
Wizards Key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word\Wizards
This key replaces the Wordwiz.ini file from earlier versions of Word. All wizard defaults are stored here. These setting are created the first time you run a wizard.
WordMail Key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word\WordMail
This key contains the window position information for WordMail.
Settings in: HKEY\CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Common
This key is used by other Microsoft programs, such as the Office programs. Likewise, these settings are shared between programs. Changes made in one program's settings also appear in the other programs' settings.
Assistant Sets information about the chosen Office Assistant
AutoCorrect Sets the path to the .ACL file (which contains the
AutoCorrect list) and lists the current settings for
AutoCorrect
FileNew Sets paths for local and shared templates
Internet Stores settings for File Transfer Protocol (FTP) sites and
icons
Open Find Stores default setting for Open and Save dialog boxes in
Microsoft Word, including current view and file name and
most recently used lists
Toolbars Turns ToolTips on or off and sets button sizes for toolbars
Userinfo Sets user information including address, name, and initials
Settings in: HKEY\CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MS Setup (ACME)
This setting refers to the user's name, which you are prompted to fill in during Setup.
User Info Sets the user name and company name for Setup usage
This key contains paths for all Windows applets (programs such as Equation, WordArt, and MSGraph). Paths for graphics filters and text converters are also registered in this location. There are two keys that pertain to Word. One is the Graphics Filters key, which registers the import and export filters, and the other is the Text Converters key, which registers import and export converters. In addition, each filter and converter is registered individually. A list of clients that use a filter, converter, or applet is listed under each tool.
Miscellaneous Settings
The .doc file name extension is registered in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT in several ways.
Class Ids are in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT and in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
Equation Editor options outlined in the RegOptions Macro are registered in the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Equation Editor\3.0\Options\General
Note that the Options\General folders do not appear unless options are set.
Using the RegOptions Macro
The RegOptions macro can be used to examine the Windows registry or to make changes to Word settings stored there. To run the macro, follow these steps:
- On the File menu, click Templates and Add-ins.
- Click Add.
- Select the "Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Macros" folder.
- Select the Support8.Dot file and click OK. This step adds the Support8 template to the "Global Templates and Add-ins" box. Click OK.
- On the Tools menu, click Macro.
- In the Macros In list, click Support8.dot (Template).
- In the Macros list, click RegOptions, and then click Run.
Alphabetical List of Options and Where They Are Stored
NOTE: In the following table, "Template" refers to either the Normal.dot template or to a custom template. The "Qxxxxxx" reference refers to a Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) article where you can find additional information about the setting.
Setting name Storage location KB Article Q#
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Active Window Prop Registry Data Q157464
AutoCorrect-Cap info Registry Data Q157464
AutoCorrect-Formatted text Normal.dot
AutoCorrect-Path Registry Data Q157464
AutoCorrect-Shared Entries .ACL files <user>.acl
AutoSave Path Registry Data Q140097
AutoText Template
Bullets & Numbering Palette Registry Data Q157464
Common Office Registry Q157464
Company Name Winword.exe
Confirm Conversion Options Registry Data Q157464
Custom Keystroke Assignments Template
Custom Label Registry Data Q157464
Default View Mode Registry Data Q157464
Default View Zoom Registry Data Q157464
Drawing Object Prop Registry Data Q157464
Edit Registry Data Q157464
Envelope Registry Data Q157464
File Locations Registry Data Q157464
File Routing Slip Registry Data Q157464
Font Substitution Registry Q163813
Format Style List Registry Data Q157464
General Registry Data Q157464
Grammar Registry Q157464
Help File Registry Data Q157464
Help for WP Registry Options Q135872
HTML Registry Data Q157464
Macros Template/Document
Mailing Address Name, Initials Registry Data Q157464
Most Recently Used File List Registry Data Q157464
Most Recently Used Font List Registry Data Q157464
Picture Editing Registry Q112199
Print Registry Data Q157464
Print data forms Document
Proofing Tools Registry Data Q157464
Revisions(Track Changes) Registry Data Q157464
Save Registry Data Q157464
Screen Location Registry Data Q157464
Shared Tools Registry Q157464
Show Tips Registry Data Q157464
Snap to Grid Registry
Sort Options Registry Data Q157464
Spelling Registry Data Q157464
Styles Template/Document
Table of Authorities Registry Data Q157464
Templates and Add-ins Registry Data Q157464
Text Converters Registry Data Q157464
Toolbar Docking Registry Data Q157464
Toolbars Template/Document
Tools/Options View Registry Data Q157464
User Info Registry
View Options Registry Data Q157464
View Toolbars Template
View/Ruler Registry Data Q157464
View/Toolbar Template
Virus Protection Registry Q157464
Wizards Registry Q157464
WordMail Registry Q157464
AutoCorrect lists are shared between Office programs. Any changes you make to the AutoCorrect entries and settings while in one program are immediately available to the other programs. In addition, Word can store AutoCorrect items that consist of formatted text and graphics.
Information pertaining to AutoCorrect is stored in various locations. These locations are listed in the following table.
This AutoCorrect information Is stored here
---------------------------------------------------------------------
AutoCorrect entries shared by all .acl file in the location
programs specified in the registry
AutoCorrect entries used only by Normal.dot
Word (formatted text and graphics)
AutoCorrect settings (correct two initial Registry
capitals, capitalize names of days,
replace text as you type)
AutoCorrect settings used only by Registry
Word (Correct accidental usage of CAPS
LOCK key, Capitalize first letter of
sentences)
Keywords: kbfaq kbhowto KB181471
