Stop requesting save changes to document template

Anonymous
2013-06-17T10:47:19+00:00

Word 2013 insists on asking if I want to save the document template, or in the case of a custom template, save that named template.  I have followed the recommendations for turning this "feature" off, but it persists.  I have unchecked the box labeled "Prompt Before Saving Normal Template**"** in both the normal and the custom templates.  No change.  It still prompts me to save.  I worry that there is something wrong with my installation (Word also hangs if I open a folder and double-click on a document to open it.  I have learned that I can right-click and select "Restore" to get the document to open, but this seems to suggest a problem with the program or the installation).

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments No comments

55 answers

Sort by: Newest
  1. Stefan Blom 352.7K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2014-04-18T22:28:40+00:00

    Unfortunately, many computers come with preinstalled buggy add-ins. :-(

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  2. Anonymous
    2014-04-18T22:18:00+00:00

    I solved this by uninstalling the Bluetooth program, which I had no use for.

    The answers given here are awful. The fire alarm analogy is stupid. If your fire alarm is put out of work, what's the worst that could happen? A fire goes off, there is no alarm, and your house and perhaps the whole city burns down.

    If your Microsoft Word template changes without your knowing it, what's the worst that could happen? Uh, not much, besides the Microsoft Word template changing without your knowing it.

    Confirming that 'Send to Bluetooth" add in was the cause (if not the root cause)

    I solved this by going to File >> Options >> Add-Ins >> Manage COM Add-Ins (at the bottom) and Go..

    I unchecked the only COM add-in that was checked which was  "Send to Bluetooth"

    Then I quit and restarted Word.

    The constant prompting to update my custom templates went away.

    This problem existed right out of the box with my new Dell laptop that had office 2013 pre-installed.  The offending DLL is btmofficea.dll  published by Motorola Solutions and seems to have been preinstalled by Dell.   I certainly did not install anything related to Bluetooth and do not use the feature.  I would be curious if any other Dell users have this issue.  I have not found a patch.

    Was this answer helpful?

    7 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments
  3. Anonymous
    2014-04-15T20:52:21+00:00

    Thanks for your response.  Add-ins could be the problem.  Reinstalled on new computer and no longer happens.

    If you review my rant below, maybe you have seen the ghost issue.  I decided to send a letter to microsoft's general counsel b/c I am not going to pay for them to fix it.  Very annoying.  Happens with other office 2013 apps.  If you attempt to open a file, either from within the app or from explorer, the file will appear as a ghost with no content on the task bar and it is impossible to get it to actually open as a window. This can happen 1 time or 10 times depending on ???  I have had to actually reboot the computer at times to get a file to open.  I suppose I should have kept a journal of the incidents.  It is possible it happens every other Tuesday - haven't discerned rhyme or reason.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  4. Anonymous
    2014-04-15T20:47:45+00:00

    Well, this should contribute to your frustration with 2013.  (I totally agree with your assessment of 2013 and Windows 8 - i won't allow 8 on my computers.)  I got rid of my Dell xps14 laptop (poorest excuse for a Dell laptop ever) which required that I reinstall 2013 on my new laptop (Maingear Pulse17 - what a machine!)  and Word no longer asks about saving the template.  this reinforces my complaint that the implementation is buggy and lacks defined rules.  Nonetheless, I am happy to be rid of that ANNOYING dialog box question. Of course, the bugs continue.  On both laptops, word will frequently present a ghost of a document in the task bar, but will not switch to the document or the ghost.  This behavior is apparently entirely random, with the possible exception that it is programmed to happen when you are in a hurry to get something done.  Microsoft tech support insists that i must pay them $150 to get their "assistance" with their bug, which I am obviously not going to do (last time microsoft actually solved a problem with tech support was in 1997, when it was still free).

    Happy motoring.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments
  5. Suzanne S Barnhill 279.4K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2014-04-15T20:46:48+00:00

    When I have had a problem either with a prompt to save the template (unnecessarily) or a failure to save the template, the cause has always turned out to be an add-in. At one time, the Adobe PDFMaker add-in would trigger a save prompt, and PDFComplete causes the Normal template not to be saved.

    Very, very briefly, a SnagIt add-in caused a save prompt, but alert Word MVPS contacted TechSmith (providing revised code), and that error was caught quite quickly. Would that other software publishers were as responsive!

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments