I have two thoughts based on what you recounted.

1. Did you edit the normal template by opening it from Word or from the folder? If you open it from the folder by launching the file, the modifications will not be made to the template. You'll have to launch word, and open the template from Word.

2. Is your workstation personal or an office PC? It could be, though unlikely, that there is some kind of group policy/ script that's rewriting the template periodically to ensure that users don't "tamper" with it.

Jay