[Windows 7 Pro 64 bit, Word 2010 - fresh installation, not an upgrade. (Not sure if the MS Office is 32 or 64 bit.)]

From within Word itself, the Word Template folder holds no files, just a LiveContent folder. [Same result, whether the filter is 'templates' or 'all word files'.]
I looked at this folder from the Command Prompt, to check that the Normal template wasn't hidden, and got the same result to a DIR /AH command: no Normal.*, only the LiveContent folder.
A complete computer search for Normal.dot, Normal.dotm, Normal.* returns 'no matches'.


Any suggestions?

If you have not changed the default location enter or copy
%appdata%\Microsoft\Templates
to the address window of Windows Explorer and you will be taken to the folder that contains the default template. Note that this folder is normally hidden.

Thanks for the response.
I should perhaps have been less brief. I had looked at various threads that might be connected with the problem, and did find your suggestion.
%appdata%\Microsoft\Templates gets me to the same folder that WORD itself does (File^Open^Miscrosoft Word^Templates), containing no files, only the LiveContent folder. 'Search Templates' gives 'no match' to Normal.* etc., search request.
I have a tablet (Samsung, MS Surface Pro equivalent, with same Office software, three license, this one upgraded to Office 2013) and the Template folder does include Normal.dotm.

The perceived wisdom is that Word requires a normal template in order to work. In a Windows operating system this template is stored in the folder defined at File > Options > Advanced > File Locations > User Templates Folder, which by default is the folder in my previous reply.

When that template is missing from that location, Word will create a new one, and in theory at least, with the default settings, it should automatically save that template on closing Word as Normal.dotm.

Automatic closure is not such a good idea. It is better to set the option to prompt to save the normal template. This way you get feedback about what you are saving and thus only save stuff you want to keep.

If, with the option set, Word does not save the template, then the implication is that something is preventing that save. Third party software, such as over-zealous AV software and add-ins are the usual suspects.

Ensure that you don't have the Send to Bluetooth add-in present (as that one often screws things up) and check your AV software with respect to its Office file handling.

Graham Mayor - MS MVP (Word)
www.gmayor.com

Curiouser and curiouser.
I ran an old copy of a file manager, ZTREEWIN, which amongst other things lists all files at a given location (hidden or not). I did a full disk search and, surprise, surprise, it showed a NORMAL.DOTM, with location the template folder. I exited that program, tried the command prompt DIR /AH again on the template directory, and this time the .DOTM file showed up.
Reran Word, which now shows the .DOTM file at the template location.
Problem apparently solved, but clueless as to why.
Thanks again for your help.

Very interesting.
Was template directory the default or one designated by you?
Normal Template in Microsoft Word - How to Find or Open the Normal Template

The machine (HP i3) - a replacement for an old (now unsupported) XP machine - was bought second hand with a factory reset. The installation of MS Office was clean, without any customisation. So the .DOTM file would/should have been wherever that installation put it, standardly Users>[NAME]>AppData>Roaming>Microsoft>Templ. - where it now in fact is.
Word was stable prior to finding the .DOTM file, so no reason to think it was corrupted.
Yesterday's modifications to the Normal.dotm template seem likewise stable.

PS. You say in your linked web site that you shouldn't put page numbers into the Normal template. I have done so, and find no problems. Can you explain the advice?
Cheers.

If you put page numbers in the normal template, you will get page numbers where they will screw up document formats - especially labels.

If you want page numbers then create a document template with page numbers and create your new documents from that. Treat the normal template as a scratch pad to store some default settings, rather than as the basis for your documents. Don't add any text to it.

The problems I know about have to do with the envelopes and labels functions. The formatting on these can be thrown off. I have not tried this on the most recent version but have no reason to think it has changed. I never use Word's envelope function so I do not know if that has improved. (I use my own envelope templates instead.)

Unable to set Label dimensions correctly