Word 2003, XP, + all updates



It is possible to define your own caption label text (insert -> reference -> caption -> new label).

These captions appear to be bound to the computer and/or user, not the document.

If you create a document with these own defined captions ....
1) somebody else logged onto the same computer who then opens the document will see the captions that have been created, but will not be able to create any additional captions using the same label.
2) similarly, somebody else or yourself using another computer who then opens the document will see the captions that have been created, but will not be able to create any additional captions using the same label.

Does anybody know how/where the own caption label information is stored by word, that would explain these situations?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Caption labels are stored in the Normal template. Unfortunately, this can't be changed. Instead, as you have noticed, we have to recreate the labels when the document is being opened on a new machine (or by a different user on the same machine).

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

Thanks for the input.

You obviously know a lot of worthwhile information judging by other posts.

Do you think there might be a chance of doing a "binary edit" on the normal template to move/transfer the captions?

It's something I would give a try.

Or is a simple transfer of the normal template a solution (with possible loss of previous settings)?

Sorry, I don't know if/how you can manipulate the documents directly. (XML might be a possibility, but I have never tried it.)

Adding a caption label could be done in an ordinary Word macro (Visual Basic for Applications), of course, if that helps. In the simplest case:

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

Ok, I have made a number of tests. I took the Normal.dot file from a machine & specific user, where all the self created Captions can be seen and used in all word documents, onto another machine (renaming the Normal.dot to Normal_orig.dot). After a reboot and starting Word on the second machine, none of the Captions can be seen in any word document loaded, hence cannot be used. Interesting is that the Normal.dot file that was moved is much smaller in size than the Normal.dot file on a third machine where only 3 of the 15 self created Captions can be seen. Is it possible the Captions are not stored in the Normal.dot file as this suggests. Further, are there any other possibilities where the Captions are stored?

I'm sure that the caption labels are stored in the Normal template. Creating a new label prompts me to save Normal.dotm (because I have that option set). I choose to save. Exiting and restarting Word, I see the new label in the Caption dialog box. And if I rename Normal.dotm and let Word create a new one, the added caption label has been lost.

When you moved Normal to the other computer, did you make sure to put it in the correct folder? It has to be in the User Templates folder, as indicated by Tools | Options | File Locations.

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

Thanks for the response. The computers are in a network running a German Win XP. We placed the moved Normal.dot file where found the computer moved to original Normal.dot file. That seemed logical at the time. The comment you make about the Word option to ask about replacing Normal.dot could be important information. I will investigate. Thanks for the information.

Are you perhaps using some Office installation in English as well? The reason I ask is that there are also three built-in caption labels, whose names are different in different language versions of Word. This may be relevant to your situation (at least if you move files between, say, German and English Word).

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

Yes, the basic Word installation is German. Everybody who is under my guidance, must work in English. Every time they introduce a new user or a new machine arrives, I have to create captions for Figures (German -> Abbildung) and Tables (German -> Tabelle), but this is under control. We don't use Equation (German -> Gleichung). This is one of the many poor programming techniques of MS. I have seen a document written/formatted using an English Word read into a German Word which then destroyed all the cross referencing and captions. The culprit could not remember exactly what he did and I was unable to reproduce it. Simply wasted a day correcting the document. You have to accept that Microsoft does not understand that you might be wanting work in two (or more) languages, does not notice you have installed the language pack to make it talk to you in a different language from the operating system, and add captions accordingly. After many years experience, I recommend never mixing Windows OS with programs written & working in a different language. You might be lucky, if the programmer was good, but it can cause problems.

A question on this code.
Could it be amended to add 'include chapter number' setting to that macro?