Last question, first: Whether the macro is making any difference depends on what the macro does. I would be surprised if it were the cause, though.

The automatically adopt formatting changes as styles is a per-style setting, not a document setting or an application-wide setting. So long as the document, itself, is not set to automatically update styles from the template, the settings in your document's styles will control.

See http://wordribbon.tips.net/T011159_M...matically.html for a macro that can be used to set all styles in a document to not update automatically from formatting.

Note that when a style is based upon another style, the setting in the underlying style will control unless it is specifically turned off in the dependent style.

Understanding Styles in Microsoft Word

As you have discovered, Word does not function without styles. Trying to use it without using styles is an exercise in frustration. You will be fighting the program.

I would strongly recommend that you take some time to learn all you can about styles. The time you spend reading the following articles will repay itself very quickly, and then you will be saving time (and angst).

• Basic concepts of Microsoft Word: An introduction
• Why use Microsoft Word’s built-in heading styles?
• How to create numbered headings or outline numbering in Word 2007 and Word 2010
• What happens when I send my document to someone else? Will Word mess up my formatting?
• Tips for Understanding Styles in Word
• How to control the Quick Styles gallery on the Home tab in Word