MTips Ezine Page Three

Text Box: When an MT talks about “macros,” they typically mean shortcuts for words and phrases. In MS Word, a macro is a "series of commands" recorded in Visual Basic. The differences in terminology are subtle, but actually are quite important. Because transcriptionists frequently record hundreds, if not thousands, of shortcuts for words and phrases, it is important to use the correct tool for recording “macros.” Unlike Word Perfect, there is a limit to the number of macros that can be stored in Word. Microsoft intended two other features to be used for creating text shortcuts, namely AutoText and AutoCorrect. Word also contains literally hundreds of built-in commands, so an MT may not need to record a large number of macros in Word. I normally only use 5-10 macros on a daily basis. Typical uses for macros include opening documents based on templates, editing tasks such as changing punctuation, (e.g. changing a comma to a period and capitalizing the next word), or more complicated macros that log data for line counts and billing. No matter how you use macros, you probably depend on them greatly to increase efficiency, and you certainly don’t want to be without them. One of the most common questions posed on the bulletin boards is “how do I back up or move my macros to another computer?” Macros are not stored individually, but are stored in modules, and the modules are stored within the Normal.dot file. While it is possible to manipulate macros through the Organizer or the Visual Basic Editor, the simplest way to back them up is to simply copy your Normal.dot file to a floppy disk or other media. Whether you record macros or not, it is important to keep a copy of the Normal template backed up, because this file also stores AutoText, some AutoCorrect entries, and other vital information needed to run Word. The easiest way to locate the Normal.dot file on your computer is to let Windows do it for you. Click the Start button and choose Search (or Find, depending on your version of Windows). Follow the prompts to search the C drive for the Normal.dot. This file is considered a “system file” and in later versions of Windows has been “hidden” from view. See Tech Talk article at right for instructions on showing hidden files. The search results will appear in a separate pane attached to the search box. Click View on the Menu bar and choose Details. You may see more than one copy of the Normal.dot file, especially if you are using a version of Windows that allows for multiple users (profiles). Look carefully at each file. Some of the files will be SHORTCUTS, and will be marked with a small curved arrow in the bottom left corner of the icon. Shortcuts are NOT the actual file, so don't back up a shortcut. Look in the column listing the drive and folder names and choose the file that includes your user name (if applicable). Drag the edge of the column header to expand the column so you can read the entire path name. If you are still not sure which file is yours, look at the column labeled “Modified date” and choose the file with a recent modified date. If you have created a new macro, AutoText entry or other customization, the modified date on the Normal.dot file will correspond to that date. Place a floppy disk in the A drive, right click on the icon next to the Normal.dot file and choose Send to. On the submenu, choose 3 ½ Floppy A. The file will be copied to the floppy disk. To make locating the file easier in the future, create a shortcut on the Desktop. To do this, right click on the Normal.dot icon again and choose Send to > Desktop (Create Shortcut). To restore the file to the current computer, place the backup disk in the A drive. Click the My Computer icon on the Desktop and select the A drive. Right click the icon next to the Normal.dot file and choose Copy. Go to the Desktop and locate the shortcut to the Normal.dot file. Right click the shortcut icon and choose Properties. Click the Find Target button. The template folder will open with the current Normal.dot file selected. Press CTL+V to paste the backup copy into the folder. You will be asked if you want to overwrite the existing copy. Answer Yes. If you do not want to overwrite the existing copy (i.e. delete the previous copy), RENAME the file before using the Paste command (right click and choose Rename. Give the file a new name such as “old normal.dot”). If you are moving to a new computer, follow the same steps as above, but be sure to place the files in the correct folders based on the copy of Word and Windows that is running on the NEW PC.

Volume 4, Issue 1

Tech Talk

Windows creates many files and folders that it needs to run your computer. These data files are referred to as System files, and in later versions of Windows, are protected so they will not be accidentally moved or renamed. Applications such as MS Word also depend on data files to give them instructions, and this type of information is stored in a folder called Application data. A good example is the Normal.dot file. This file supplies Word with information needed to operate Word, in addition to storing information such as macros, AutoText entries and some AutoCorrect entries. Even though the Application data folder is hidden, there are times when the user needs to access files stored in this folder in order to back up or restore them. To “unhide” these files, open Explorer or My Computer. Choose Tools from the Main menu and then Folder Options. Switch to the tab labeled View. Place a dot next to “Show hidden files and folders” (the wording may vary slightly between different versions of Windows). Click Apply and close the dialogue box. Now you will be able to view the contents of the Application Data folder, and searching for the Normal.dot, Custom.dic and the AutoCorrect list will be much easier.

File Locations for the Normal.dot

Word 97

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates

Word 2000

C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates

Word 2000 or XP on Windows XP or Windows 2000

C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\
Application Data\
Microsoft\Templates