My understanding is that the template of the current document will be saved if it has been modified (e.g. toolbar, keyboard shortcut, etc.) during the editing session. But I just found that the template (Normal.dot) was not saved upon exiting when I had changed a couple of toolbar items. I had to reopen the document and run "Save All" from the file menu, which did save the template (Normal.dot) as well.

Any possible reason this is happening?

Sometimes, poorly designed add-ins could prevent Normal from saving correctly. Further troubleshooting will be required to fix that permanently.

As a workaround, you can open Normal as a document and make the changes directly in the file. The easiest approach makes use of some basic VBA: In Word, press Alt+F11 to display the Visual Basic Editor. Press Ctrl+G to activate the Immediate window. Type

NormalTemplate.OpenAsDocument

and press Enter. Normal opens in a separate window (it may not be the active window). Close the Visual Basic Editor.

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

Thanks for the advice, but opening up the Normal just to modify it is not what I'm looking for here and is not really compatible with my workflow. I rarely run into a situation where I have to edit the Normal per se. When a situation arises during the editing session of a regular document that requires a new customization (e.g., a new button on a toolbar), that's when I want the change to be reflected in the Normal.

I think your answer is probably right. I installed a new add-in a few months ago, and it somehow coincides with the last modified date of the Normal, making it a strong suspect. (I won't name names here though.) Like you said, it must have been badly designed, because I had been using other add-ins without a problem before.

I'm glad you were able to locate the "culprit."

Note that, by default, most changes that you make in Word (toolbars, keyboard assignments, default font) are stored in the Normal template; that is why my suggested workaround is useful.

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional