When i quit word, even if i have just opened it, i get the error message 'word cannot save changes to the global template because it was opened as read only....' How do i stop it doing this (without unticking 'read only' in the template properties) Detailed instructions would be appreciated. Dave

Hi, word should not be wanting to save changes to the normal.dot in normal use. the usual cause of this is a macro virus on your system. HTH

Dave, I confirm normal.dot doesn't have to be saved in normal use! I would say also, it might be a virus! How is it your normal.dot has got the 'Read Only' attribute? did you set it intentionally in order to protect your system? I find it very clever and I'm doing this too! Thanks for the idea! Gérard from Paris, France

I tried to set the normal.dot to read only because i decided it would be safer, but maybe i am too late. The thing is I have just run Norton Virus Scan (fully updated) and it didn't find anything. How do i specifically check for macro virii? Frenchie - c'etait pas mon idée, javais lu qqpart que cetait meiux comme ca. (just showing off)

delete the normal.dot file on your computer.

Even though a user may not realise that he has changed settings of the normal.dot, it can be done. Even with something as simple as adding a word to the auto-correct list, changing the lay out of the opening screen, changing any paper or ink colours.. Word 97 does tend to give this message though, usually when one has opened up Word twice (i.e. the word icon is seen twice at the bottom of the screen), one has the "new" normal.dot, the other hasn't which is confusing to the program. One way is to simply delete normal.dot - it will be regenerated at the next sitting, or, if you are like me and have a lot of special stuff, own macros etc, make a copy of normal.dot under another name, close Word, then rename your "special" normal.dot back to the original name. Dane

->Dave... hi, >Frenchie - c'etait pas mon idée, javais lu >qqpart que cetait meiux comme ca. (just >showing off) Thank you and congratulations for your French words (except 2 little misspellings -c'était & mieux-, it's perfect! are you French too? you even made the trully French mistakes! good French is 'ce n'était pas mon idée' but what you wrote instead is what is said or written on the Web! 'qqpart' is effectively the abbreviation we use for 'quelquepart')! are you French? I adopt the tip and read-only my normal.dot! -> Dave... did you do that on purpose? is there a misspelling in your e-mail address (@hodmail.com? does hodmail.com exist? do you have a cold? ->gtw_tech... why delete normal.dot? is a macro-virus located in that file? personally, I am used to going to the "Visual Basic Editor" reached by Alt-F11 from Word (or Tools/Macro/Visual Basic Editor) to delete any Virus! ->Dave... take care because NAV is to be setup properly (along with upgrade and update)... I like to test my AV periodically with the scan of some true viruses! Gérard from Paris, France