Word templates

Word templates

Document number: 15119

Templates are what Microsoft Word uses to create new documents. The templates can help you format a document in a particular style (for example, as a "Contemporary Letter" or a "Elegant Letter"). The templates may also contain a "Wizard" that will help your format your document for a special purpose (for example, there is a "Newsletter Wizard" that helps you choose the elements and format for a community newsletter.)

Click on the template topic you are interested in below:

The default template (normal.dot)
Location of the template files ( .dot) files
How to see the different templates available and use them
What if I created templates in Office 97? Can I still use them?
How to create a new template for my personal use
PeopleSoft templates

The default template - normal.dot

When you launch Microsoft Word from its icon, click the New document icon, or press { Ctrl}{ N}, a blank document is created. That document is created by the default template, normal.dot.

In Word 97, Normal.dot is located at c:\Apps\Office97\Templates\PeopleSoft Templates and not in the directory indicated in the Microsoft Word 97 help file.

In Word 2000, Normal.dot is located at C:\Apps\Office2000\Templates\PeopleSoft Templates.

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Location of the template files (.dot) files

Word 97: C:\Apps\Office97\Templates\PeopleSoft Templates is the "default" location for your templates. That means that any personal templates you save will default to this location. This is not the same location indicated in the Microsoft Word 97 help file.

Word 2000: C:\Apps\Office2000\Templates\PeopleSoft Templates is the "default" location for your templates. That means that any personal templates you save will default to this location.

You are advised not to change the default location for any of your user templates or workgroup templates unless you know what you are doing. If you do make changes, you may lose some of the customization tools provided by PeopleSoft and the changes will not be supported.

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How to see the different templates available and use them

To see and use the many different templates available, follow these steps:

Click on the File menu, and then on New...

Note: You cannot use the New icon on your Word toolbar or { Ctrl}{ N}.

A screen entitled New appears. There are number of tabs on the screen. Each tab has a number of templates on it. You may choose any of the templates on any of the tabs to create a document.

The Blank Document icon on the PeopleSoft Templates tab is the default template that is used when you click the New document icon on the toolbar or press { Ctrl}{ N}.
Your personal templates (ones you have created) should appear on the General tab.

Once you choose a template, a document formatted as shown in the Preview portion of the New screen will be created when you click OK.

Your document will be created in the style you have chosen.

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Templates created in Office 97

Any personal templates you created while you were using Office 97 may still be usable Office 2000. There are some issues of which you should be aware:

The location of the templates has changed. To use the previously created templates, you need to move them from the previous directory (generally, c:\Apps\Office97\Templates\PeopleSoft Templates) to the current template directory for your personal templates ( c:\Apps\Office2000\Templates\PeopleSoft Templates).
Any macros you created in a Microsoft Word 97 template will need to be upgraded in Word 2000 (which uses a different macro language) before they will work. Because the creation of macros is not supported, you will need to go back to the party who created the macro to upgrade it.

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How to create a new template for my personal use

Follow these steps to create a new Microsoft Word template for your personal use.

Click on the File menu and then on New...
- Note: You cannot use the New icon on your Word toolbar or { Ctrl}{ N}.
On the New screen, click on the Template radio button at the lower right-hand corner of the screen in the Create New box.
You may choose any of the Dot files to use as model for your template. Use Blank Document on the General tab for a clean screen to start with.
- Do not use the .wiz files (or any Wizard) for your template.
Click on OK.
Create your template as you wish by editing the file you choose.
Save the file by clicking on the File menu, and then on Save. The program will automatically choose the correct directory to store your personal templates. Do not change the default directory or Word may not be able to find and use the templates in the future.

Make sure that you do not overwrite another template or create what looks like a duplicate template by changing the default name that appears.

Close the file.

Your template should be ready for use. For instructions on using the new template, click here.

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PeopleSoft Templates

Some sites on PeopleSoft's intranet may have templates that may be used with Office 2000. To be properly used as templates, they should be saved in the appropriate templates directory. On legacy PeopleSoft machines and machines built after June 19, 2004, this is c:\apps\office2000\Templates. The folder in which you put the template in will determine which tab the template will appear in.

Information about the path of legacy J.D. Edwards machines Office 2000 applications is forthcoming. If you have that information, please submit a Eureka! Feedback and identify this document number so that we can add this information to this document.

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