Word templates not opening as new documents

Anonymous
2022-02-07T06:40:36+00:00

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/word-templates-not-opening-as-new-documents/36dd51b5-b434-4f2b-85be-3db9aebd45eb?page=6

The thread was closed after this last post. Registry edits were suggested. That sounds quite easy compared to dealing with the ongoing file save problem.

Would you please tell me how to manually correct the file associations in the registry?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2022-02-08T07:20:11+00:00

    Are you suggesting this is all a bad dream I had. 12 years of left-clicking .dotms never opened them as a template, unless I right-clicked and selected edit. You are saying no such behavior was ever possible?

    File\New is slower and more cumbersome than opening a template as a template and saving as, every time.

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  2. Stefan Blom 353.5K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2022-02-08T07:53:58+00:00

    Double-clicking a *.dotm (macro-enabled template) would create an untitled document based on the *.dotm in question. If something else happens, then something is likely wrong with the default action for the file type.

    Note that any untitled document will save to the default file format that has been specified at File > Options > Save. This is how it works with the Normal template which is always a macro-enabled template (using the extension *.dotm).

    Does your custom, macro-enabled template contain any code and what does that code do?

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  3. Doug Robbins - MVP - Office Apps and Services 323.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2022-02-08T13:17:35+00:00

    Double left clicking on a Template in the File Explorer, creates a new document based on that template. Until you save that document, it does not have a particular file type. However as a Reference is created to the template, any macros that are in the template are available for use with the document, and that is the case, even if it is saved as a docx document.

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  4. Anonymous
    2022-02-08T21:08:19+00:00

    Thank you for helping. The vb code pulls data from an Access db and populates forms. I'll check "save files in this format" when I get back later today.

    This change on my system followed an Office update around a year ago.

    From earlier, this problem is only on my work laptop.

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  5. Anonymous
    2022-02-09T04:13:24+00:00

    My "Save files in this format" setting is the same.

    As mentioned in a prior thread, my normal.dotm exhibits normal behavior saving as .docx. My problem started following a Windows or Office update about a year ago.

    I wish I could simply copy/paste some files from other machines, which work correctly. However, almost certain the problem is in the registry.

    Also imagining that my nonstandard template folder location may be a factor. That can't be changed since we have a complex folder structure for all of our practice files.

    Files on the problem laptop are synchronized to the LAN by GoodSync, very robust and reliable. Files on the LAN are distributed by dropbox

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