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May 12, 2007
Babeling on in Word 2007
It's a bother when people upgrade / update to a new software version. It may not be the performance aspects of the software. Or the lack of familiarity. It can be something as simple as not getting your default Language right.
If all users wrote in one language, life would be easier for us and for the IT folk. We wouldn't need Edward de Bono's Code Book. And we wouldn't need Regional Settings in every version of Windows.
I was having trouble convincing Word 2007 to default to Australian English for all new documents. An issue on a machine (a Vista) but not another (Windows XP). Now, I'm not a Word virgin. Been using Word since Word 5.0 for DOS - Esc -> Transfer -> Load and all that.
"So!", I said. "I know - do the Language -> Set Default thing". But this is the Ribbon, not Word for Windows classic menus. Turns out that it's now in Review -> (Proofing block) -> Set Language -> select English (Australia), Default... -> Set -> click Yes to confirm. Sounds about right, doesn't it. That's similar to what we used to do? Well, that sequence works, but "I look at the Status Bar, and the Status Bar, he look at me". It's still stubbornly English (US).
Well then, check the Language Setting for Normal Style. You know, the Style you use when you're not using a Style? But oh, where's that? The familiar vertical task pane of Styles that we got used to in Word 2003 isn't there. Yes, I did find a way to expose that in Word 2007, but that's another story. How about the Style drop down box we learnt how to use in Word 2.0 for Windows? That's gone missing as well. Yes, I know I can expose that as well. Aah. I know, this is a convenient way - on the Ribbon Home -> (Styles block) right click on the Normal Style icon -> Modify in the Modify Style dialog, click on the classic Format button -> Language -> Choose English (Australian). However, the Default button is disabled so it might work for this document but not the mother of all templates, Normal.dotm. Normal.dotm - that's a thought. Maybe we can set up English (Australia) there.
But where's that? Vista keeps it in
c:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\Normal.dotm
So I hunt this down, do the requisite things. But the Statusbar - he is still recalcitrant.
Microsoft Live Search helps find me some information. Turns out, there is a global setting for Microsoft Office Languages - we just need to Set the Primary Editing Language. I do that. Nope. Still recalcitrant. In desperation, I trail the obvious - maybe it's Windows that's set up wrong. Windows Control Panel -> Regional Settings and Language Options. Seems ok. But wait. One more step. Select the Keyboards and Languages -> General tab -> Default input language - there it is. Although English (Australia) is an option, it wasn't the default option.
Word 2007 and I? We're chummy again. And I didn't need to read the Office 2007 Resource Kit entry.
[Update] Thanks to Jake for the even quicker tip about double clicking on the Language display in the Statusbar. With further non exhaustive testing, this does well, even for all new documents, if the other two controls - the global Office 2007 Language Settings Primary Language and the Windows Control Panel, Keyboard, Language do not hold conflicting toggles.
Posted by Anandasim at May 12, 2007 10:48 PM
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Comments
Mate, save yourself the trouble and click on the Language indicator in the status bar. Then select the one you wish to default to, click default and voila! you've done it.
Posted by: Jake at May 13, 2007 12:25 AM
Thanks for your kind words of advice Jake. I had another machine which was acting up and tried that. It's much less circuitous than Review -> (Proofing block) -> Set Language -> select English (Australia), Default... -> Set -> click Yes to confirm which presumably does the same thing, but this sets only the current document, not every new document. Thanks for taking the time to provide the new tip.
Posted by: anandasim ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://bleedingedge.com.au/blog/nav-commenters.gif)
at May 13, 2007 02:03 PM
Another problem I had was that changing the language via the statusbar only changed it for the section I'm working on. So I had to change it for every new paragraph I start working on. Getting the regional language right is a much better way IMHO. Then we're also ready for Office 2009... :-P
Thanks, Anandasim, you saved me a lot of hunting!
Posted by: Tacet at May 22, 2008 07:12 PM
For Office 2007, in the Start Menu -> Microsoft Office -> Microsoft Office Tools group there is a menu item - Microsoft Office 2007 Language Settings. This works well for Office 2007.
Posted by: Ananda Sim at May 22, 2008 08:26 PM