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So, I have a Microsoft Word template (.dotx file). I want to make some changes to it, so new documents based on it will look different.

I open the template, make my changes, and hit save. Then Word prompts me for a location, because it thinks that I want to create a new Word document based on this template. I don't, so I go to Office > Save As and try to save it to the original template file...but it says I can't because I already have that file open.

I thought about saving it to a new file, then just switching file names around to get it back in the location of the original template, but I worry that documents based on this template will lose their association with the template the were based on.

There has to be a better way, and I suspect I'm missing something extremely obvious here.

Deane
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3 Answers3

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To clarify some earlier responses:

It is not necessary to save under other name, delete original, then rename new version, etc. I was doing this myself for a very long time until I found the link below.

http://windowssecrets.com/forums/showthread.php/139163-Editing-a-template-in-Word-2010

As the link and also one of the earlier responses (Deane) said, if you right click on the template icon, click Open, make your changes, and then click Save, you will permanently modify the template in one simple step.

If you just double click the template icon to open it, however, you are not editing the template; instead, you are creating a new document based on the template. This does seem to be "one of those things" in Word. We normally assume that double-clicking to open and right-clicking and then clicking on Open cause the same outcome. Not in this case, however.

eLearn Partners
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  1. Open the Microsoft Word Template file (*.dotx)

  2. Edit it.

  3. Save it under another name.

  4. Close Microsoft Word.

  5. Delete the original and rename the new one to replace the original.

Alternatives: How to modify an existing template in Word 2007?

Tamara Wijsman
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When you see a *.doc* document in windows explorer the default context menu option (rght-click) is Open - so double-clicking on the document will open it

When you see a *.dot* document in windows explorer the default context menu option (rght-click) is New - so double-clicking on the document will open a new document based on this template. To edit the template you will need to right click on the document and selected Open from the context menu.

Kelvin
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