Importing old Word templates into Word 2010

**AussieMike** · 2011-10-08 01:33

I have some old templates stored in several folders that I’ve created over the years and used in earlier versions of Word. I’ve now moved to Word 2010 but can’t find how to import my old templates so that they appear in their original folders in the File/New/Available Templates page of a new document so I can select the one I want to base my new document on. I can open and use the old templates from a Windows Explorer folder, but not from within Word.

Is it as simple as copying the old templates to some folder hidden in the depths of the O.S?

I’m sure this is an easy one, but for the life of me I can’t see how to do it. Your help will relieve my frustration and save my sanity.

Thanks

**Andrew Lockton** · 2011-10-08 02:37

Yes, it is as simple as copying the templates to the correct folder in the C:\ drive.

This location can vary but if you haven't already appointed a user templates folder in the Word options then go to Windows Explorer and type into the folder path the following string
%appdata%\Microsoft\Templates

You should see a Normal.dotx template there so you will know you are in the right place.

**Charles Kenyon** · 2011-10-08 07:47

Originally Posted by Andrew Lockton

You should see a Normal.dotx template there so you will know you are in the right place.

Normal.dotm?

**jscher2000** · 2011-10-08 15:04

Also, unless someone knows a shortcut or hack, you will find them under File > New > My Templates rather than on the main File > New tab itself.

**Browni** · 2011-10-09 01:22

You can also setup a user templates folder and point Word/Office 2010 to that (very similar to the way it has worked in the past apart from what jscher2000 has mentioned above.)

I achieved this in Word by by clicking file->options->advanced->file locations (scroll to the bottom to find!)

**kmurdock** · 2011-10-11 11:25

One can immediately open the "old" File New dialog with the vba call...

Dialogs(wdDialogFileNew).Show

Save it in a macro and put it on the QAT. I really hate the new File > New dialog.

Kim

**Charles Kenyon** · 2011-10-11 17:39

I also have it assigned to Ctrl-N. I still use the New command on the File Tab for those rare time when I want to get a template from Microsoft.

**AussieMike** · 2011-10-13 01:36

Many thanks for all the help. My problem is solved, frustration relieved, and sanity restored! It's very easy when you know how. Thanks for showing me the way.

**Charles Kenyon** · 2011-10-14 05:26

One other method of getting the templates dialog in Word 2010 is to assign the command directly to the QAT. I learned this from Suzanne Barnhill.
The command is FileNewDialogClassic. Here are her instructions:

Right-click on the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) and choose Customize Quick Access Toolbar.
In the Customize the Quick Access Toolbar dialog, select All Commands or Commands Not in the Ribbon.
Scroll down to New and select New Document or Template. When you mouse over it, it will show that it represents "FileNewDialogClassic."
Click Add to add it to the QAT.
Clicking on that button will open your personal New dialog with all the tabs (subfolders) you have created.

**dogberry** · 2011-10-20 18:25

You are dealing with ‘old templates’, which means that when you try to use one in 2010 you will be invited to convert it to 2010 format, since 2010 has more bells and whistles. On the other hand, it will not be compatible with earlier versions of Word. When you do convert it to 2010 format, you may have to perform some editing to have it exactly as you want it, because it may lose something in translation and you may want to dress it up with some of 2010’s new features, such as font ligatures.

In the (Lounge/Word) thread 'Doc batch conversion' (I apologize for being confused, not to mention embarrassed, about how to link to it) Gary Frieder provides a means of batch conversion for doc to (2007) docx, and I presume the same can be done with both documents and templates to 2010 versions. Conversion was quite an active topic, and there may be more up-to-date sources. It is worth remembering that the newer formats have much smaller file sizes.

**Charles Kenyon** · 2011-10-20 21:49

I still work in Word 2010 with mostly old templates. 95% or more of the templates I use on a daily basis are .dot files. I am not invited to convert them. On the other hand, I usually create new documents based on those templates rather than opening them. The new documents are usually saved in the new document format.

**Gary Frieder** · 2011-10-22 03:24

dogberry: I'm embarrassed to say I can't find the thread you refer to (was going to post a link) - could you possibly repost instructions for how you found that thread? - thanks. The nearest thing I could find was a thread entitled "Batch Conversion VBA", but the code there (not done by me) isn't really applicable in this case.

Charles: If you're going to save new files in the new file format, then it may be worth at some point opening up each of your old .dot files, and saving them up to the new file formats. It sounds like your docs are working fine anyway, but somehow having the documents, and the templates they're based on, be based on completely different file formats seems like something to avoid, if possible, particularly if it's an easy exercise to 'save as' the old templates up to the new format. And not to mention, there are many new features in 2007/2010 that aren't available via the older file formats.

Gary

**Charles Kenyon** · 2011-10-22 03:48

Gary,

I work with 15 old-form add-ins that I developed over the years. I am in the process of updating them to the new file format. They seem to be working fine as-is. Most of them, though, are intended to not just give access to macros and AutoText but to change the interface. I'm learning Ribbon customization and plan on changing and consolidating them as I learn. I already have dotm versions in development.

Most of my old templates are legal form I use in my practice. At least some of them do not like them do not convert well to the new formatting. I have at least one mailmerge letter where the formatting gets messed up when saved in the .docx format but it works fine in 2010 when used in the .dot format. I guess my philosophy is if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Right now most of my interface customizations are available through the add-ins tab, even if that is clunky. Eventually I'll figure out the mail merge format problem but it isn't a high priority. Most new documents are stored in the docx format even if based on a .dot template. Part of the delay in converting document templates is that (1) the Add-Ins are a higher priority, and (2) many of the templates are started using custom menus. Whenever I convert one of them, I need to change the vba code that refers to it. (I don't use dynamic arrays that grab the contents of a folder, each is hand-coded.)

**Gary Frieder** · 2011-10-22 03:55

Charles,

That definitely sounds like a good example of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

Gary

**dogberry** · 2011-10-22 12:26

I have actually been told before how to do it, but I would be grateful if someone can tell me how to cite a post - I can't seem to find it in the Lounge directions and it is embarassing.

I had no luck either in finding it using the Lounge search, but if you google "Doc batch conversion" (or presumably "Thread: Doc batch conversion") it will take you to the thread (Feb. 26, 2010), the final post of which includes the tool I had in mind.

Ligatures was a bad example of something you might put in a template (other than in boilerplate), but I think using 2010 format makes a lot of sense precisely because it is superior to previous versions. The number of hits you will have run across in searching through this forum to search for a means of converting documents (and, by extension, templates) suggests there is a significant 'market' for such a product. Even or especially Microsoft might take an interest...

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