How to Recover AutoText in Microsoft Word

AutoText example

Microsoft Word has a feature called AutoText, which contains predefined words and phrases to save you time. For example, if you type the words "to whom" into a Word document, AutoText will suggest the phrase, "To Whom It May Concern." All you have to do is press the "Enter" key to use the suggested phrase, saving you some typing. If you accidentally delete some AutoText entries or are having problems with AutoText, you can learn how to recover the feature.

Things You'll Need

• Microsoft 2000 through 2007

Instructions

1. 

   Close Word. Go to the "Start" menu and click on "Search." Under "All Files and Folders" search for "normal.dot," which is Word's default template. Right-click the file and rename it "normal2.dot."

2. 

   Open Word. If you are using Word 2003 or earlier, go to the "Tools" menu and select "Templates and Add-Ins" and click the "Organizer" button. In Word 2007, click the drop-down arrow at the end of the "Quick Access Toolbar," click "Customize" and add "Organizer" to the "Quick Access Toolbar." Select "Organizer" from the "Quick Access Toolbar" once it has been added.

3. 

   Go to the "AutoText" tab and click the "Close File" button on the left. Click the "Open File" button. Find the template renamed "normal2.dot." Click on it to select it and click "Open."

4. 

   Press and hold the "Shift" key. Click the first entry in the list on the right of the organizer, and then click the last one as well to select all of the entries. Click the "Copy" button to copy all of the entries to the left.

5. 

   Close the organizer window and then close Word. Locate the "normal.dot" template, right-click it and select "Delete." Find "normal2.dot," right-click it and select "Rename." Rename it "normal.dot." The next time you open Word, the AutoText entries will be recovered.

Tips & Warnings

• You could simply delete the "normal.dot" file and a new one, along with recovered AutoText, would open the next time you opened Word. However, doing so would mean losing any custom settings you have made as well.