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General discussion

Help!! shortcuts erased when turning off computer

Sep 28, 2005 9:02PM PDT

Hi,

I use Word 2003 and Windows XP Pro. I use to create shortcuts for characters from other languages. I save these shortcuts in normal.dot (standard procedure). But somehow and in some way these shortcuts are erased when I turn off the computer. Can you help me please?

Mike

Discussion is locked

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Re: shortcuts erased
Sep 28, 2005 9:39PM PDT

Mike,

Are you sure these shortcuts are stored in normal.dot? Did you check the creation/modify-datetime of this file? That should be changed after you store such a shortcut and exit Word.

After boot, what's the creation/modify-datetime of this file? Stayed the same? Then it should still contain the shortcuts.

Check these points and post back.


Hope this helps.


Kees

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that's the problem!
Sep 29, 2005 6:09PM PDT

Hi Kees,

You are right! Nothing changes after saving the character shortcuts! According to Word, however, they are saved in Normal (not in Document 1 etc.). I suppose there must be a wrong link somewhere. Do you know how to solve this problem?

Thank you so much,

Mike

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Re: saving Word shortcuts
Sep 29, 2005 8:20PM PDT

Mike,

I don't have Word 2003 at all, and only Word 2000 here. And (I hope) I have normal.dot readonly to inhibit accidental changes. But I'll try to do some experimenting this weekend to see how it works with me.

Anyway, a good diagnosis is the first step to a good solution.

Kees

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thanks
Sep 29, 2005 8:59PM PDT

Ok, thanks, at least I know what the problem is now. If you find something, please let me know!

Mike

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A possible solution.
Sep 30, 2005 12:22AM PDT

In Word, open normal.dot, define any shortcuts you want and save it again (as a template!). All document using it should now be able to use the shortcuts.

Hope this helps.

Kees

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I'm getting crazy!
Oct 2, 2005 5:35AM PDT

Hi Kees,

Unfortunately it doesn't work! After a boot, the standard shortcuts are restored. Do you know whether there is an option to overwrite the standard shortcuts?

Thank you very much again!

Mike

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Re: character shortcuts
Oct 3, 2005 3:51AM PDT

Korpershoek,

I've read in your conversation with fellow member Papa Echo what you do. That certainly helps investigating.

In the meantime some alternatives. You might not like them, but I'm rather sure they will work:
1. Buy a Turkish keyboard for Turkish language work. In combination with the driver, you work like a Turk. That should be good enough.
2. Use the standard numeric shortcuts from Insert Symbol: alt-0-2-5-2 is

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The macro way.
Oct 4, 2005 6:07AM PDT

Mike,

Open a document, and start the macrorecorder. Then enter ALL your shortcuts, for the last time hopefully and stop the recording. It wouldn't harm to open the macro now and copy-paste the contents to a safe place!

Then save this macro in normal.dot and define ONE easy shortcut key to it. It should be available in all documents now, and be executed by using this one shortcut key.

You might even consider to name it autoexec (check the help), and then it should be executed automatically each time you start Word at least. And that should be enough.

Hope this helps, and let us know.

Kees

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macro's not saved
Oct 4, 2005 7:24AM PDT

Hi Kees,

The macro's are not saved either to normal.dot. It is really unbelievable. Could this be a Windows or security problem?

Thank you very much again for all your help.

Mike

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Re: macro not saved
Oct 4, 2005 7:58AM PDT

In older versions of Word (I don't know 2003) there are 2 ways to add a macro to normal.dot. Either a tool called something like "macro management" (I've got the Dutch version of Word 97, so I really can't tell you the details), where you can drag and drop them around, or by opening normal.dot and saving the modified version again as a template.

Maybe normal.dot is read-only? Then it won't be changed, of course.

What happens if you don't save it as normal.dot, but as, say, nornew.dot. Then try opening a new document based on that template and see what happens. If that succeeds, purge the old normal.dot and rename the new one.
All of this should work: add the macro, save the result as a new template, rename it in Windows Explorer. Why not?

All of this is a small mystery.


Kees

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small mystery
Oct 4, 2005 3:53PM PDT

Hello Kees,

Even this method doesn't work. I always thought computers are a rational thing, but I am starting to doubt that now.

Kind regards,

Mike

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Last post
Oct 5, 2005 4:00AM PDT

Mike,

If there's no way you can enter or change anything in normal.dot something is wrong. But I don't know what.

All I can advise:
- try it somewhere else to see how it works
- delete normal.dot (Word will create a new one, and try that)

Kees

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Foreign language characters shortcuts....disappeared
Oct 2, 2005 1:22PM PDT

Where did you get these characters ?

How did you create the shortcuts, and what do you mean by '' save them in normal.dot '' ?

What foreign language ?

You may have to invoke the ''language input'' bar of MS Office (if available).

But then, if I understand you correctly,
try creating the foreign language characters as images and save them as gif's, then create a link to them on a Word document (i.e. Normal.dot), instead of ''shortcuts''. If you then want to use the characters, call up that document, use the links to obtain the characters, then copy and paste to the target document....?
(Note: I haven't used Word 2003, but have used Word 97, 2000 and XP)

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characters
Oct 2, 2005 5:56PM PDT

Hi Papa Echo,

The characters I use are Turkish. They are a normal part of every font (Times New Roman, etc.). Since I use them very frequently, cutting and pasting takes too much time. I simply define the shortcuts over and over again every time I need them. There must be a very simple and elegant solution to this problem I suppose, but somehow I can't find it.

Kind regards,

Mike

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One way out...
Oct 2, 2005 7:18PM PDT

I still do not understand what you mean by "shortcuts" - short cuts to the characters ? How do you use the shorcuts to get the characters into your documents ?

What I usually do is to use the "auto correct options" at the Tools Menu. Select "correct as you type". Then "Replace xxxx(some time related to the character ?) with yyyy(the foreign character)". This is a one time setting, So you may have to memorize a code list of "your own code for a foreign character". I used to do a similar thing - I once need to insert the Japanese Yen sign

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shortcuts
Oct 2, 2005 8:02PM PDT

Hello Papa Echo,

I use the option insert > symbol. Then I define a shortcut to the symbol, for instance CTRL i =

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OK....am beginning to understand.
Oct 2, 2005 10:17PM PDT

So, you are trying to use ''shortcut keys'' to insert a character(symbol) to a Word documenmt by saving the defined key (one key only) to the normal.dot (Word template), but when you shut off and reboot, the keystrokes(Alt+key) no longer work, meaning they are not saved ?

OK- try this. The normal.dot may be corrupted. Find it and delete it. Reboot. Word will create a new normal.dot. Try saving the key again. Hope this works. Otherwise, with Word opened, go to the Help menu for ''Detect and Repair'' - you may require the Office CD.

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does'nt work
Oct 3, 2005 5:41PM PDT

Hello Papa Echo,

Neither of the option does work. Everything stays the same. I keep on trying however.

Kind regards,

Mike

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shortcuts
Oct 2, 2005 8:04PM PDT

Hello Papa Echo,

I use the option insert > symbol. Then I define a shortcut to the symbol, for instance CTRL i =

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shortcuts
Oct 2, 2005 8:05PM PDT

Hello Papa Echo,

I use the option insert > symbol. Then I define a shortcut to the symbol, for instance CTRL i = undotted i. This method has to work, but somehow the characters are not saved in normal.dot after putting the system off.

Yours sincerely,

Mike