Hello to all. This is my first post here, and I would really appreciate a little advice. I changed a standard word template that appeared in 'Available Templates' on Word 2010 (Starter) to suit my needs. I followed some online advice about saving the new/amended template as a Word template in 'My Templates'.

However, whatever I did, I couldn't save the template there and had to save it in 'My Documents' instead. Can anyone tell me how to transfer the saved template from My Documents into My Templates on Word?



Thanks for any advice. Please note that I'm not really much of a computer expert, so please assume a reasonably basic level of computer knowledge when replying.

My Templates is the storage location for the normal.dotm template. Find that and you'll find the folder.
Normal Template in Microsoft Word - How to Find or Open the Normal Template

To see how the My Templates folder works with File>New see:

• Templates in Microsoft Word and
• File New Variations in the Versions of Word

Hi Charles and thanks for your reply. First problem I've encountered when trying to open the normal template - the Alt+F11 step does nothing. I've looked at the 'trouble using Alt+F11, but I don't think it applies to me. Maybe it doesn't work in Word 2010 starter?

Oops. I forgot.
OK, just look in the default places listed in the article. You are looking for the normal.dotm template. It should be in a folder called "Templates."

By default, user templates files are stored in the following location:
In Windows XP C:\Documents and Settings\ user name \Application Data\Microsoft\Templates In Windows Vista or in Windows 7/8 C:\Users\ user name \AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates

Thanks. I have tried to use C:/Users.....etc............/templates in the search box on the top right and top line next to the search box of Windows Explorer, but I'm not really sure how that works and if I'm using it properly. I tried searching for 'templates' in the start menu search box instead (Windows 7) and it found what appears in the image below -

https://www.msofficeforums.com/album...9&pictureid=15

Apart from the top two file folders and the 'normal' file, everything else listed in the image appears in Word 'My Templates'.

I'm not really sure how to proceed from here. Is it possible to copy and paste the templates I want to move from My Documents to My Templates by pasting them into the list in my image? If so, do I paste it to appear in the list or click on the 'normal' file to paste it in 'normal'. I'm a bit confused.

That is how it is supposed to work.

Look at the article Templates in Microsoft Word . It shows how you can add tabs to the templates dialog. Yes, you can move the existing templates to your templates folder from the documents folder.

It is likely that most of your templates are .dotx and .dotm templates, not .dot templates. You can't really see this in your screen because of your view settings in Windows. See the note toward the beginning of Templates in Microsoft Word about hiding things from yourself.

You should change your folder view options in Windows. It currently is set to hide filename extensions for known file types. This should not be checked. See below. MS thinks these will scare you so they are hidden by default. I think not being able to see them confuses people.

Attached Images

00 deleteme 0.png (36.8 KB, 12 views)

Thanks Charles. I have made the folder change as you suggest. Now, when I try to save a template, the Microsoft folder appears at the top of the folder list in the Windows Explorer box that pops up. Below it is the all important 'Templates' folder. Clicking on this gets my templates saved in My Templates.

I also copied and pasted the template from My Documents into Templates - and it now, thankfully, appears in My Templates as I originally wanted.

Thanks again for helping me solve this. Really appreciated.

When you have time, take a look at File New Variations in the Versions of Word on how you can get to your templates from within Word more easily. Also look into the chapter on templates.

OK, will do. Thanks.