Q: When learning about Microsoft Word, I sometimes hear of a file called normal.dot. I’ve even unknowingly encountered this file while I was saving a document. What is its function?

A: Microsoft Word uses templates to create documents. You’ve probably noticed that, whenever you start to work on a new document, all of the same settings usually appear time and time again. This is all made possible by the power of templates. These templates exist for your normal documents, but they’re also used for things such as envelopes and letterheads. They assist Word in figuring out how to set up your starting documents.

Normal.dot is one of the templates that a lot of users may accidentally run into. They can, without knowing it, change the complete layout to their documents, and be stuck wondering why this happened. Learning how these templates work and how you can modify them to fit your needs is something every Microsoft Word user should be familiar with. In order to learn the basics of template customization, do yourself a favor and head on over to this page.

Have a question or subject that you would like to see covered? Drop Brandon a line and maybe he can include it in a future edition of the Gnewbie Gnook! Also, don’t forget our forums (or, if you’re a Latin freak, “fora”) where Gnomies from all around the world congregate to help, be helped, and discuss issues that may or may not have anything to do with technology!