How to Remove a Template From a Word Document

Templates are patterns for Word documents.

Every time you open a Microsoft Word document, it's based on a document template. Templates provide document elements such as font selection, margin settings, graphics and paper orientation. Global templates can also contain graphics, macros, keyboard shortcuts, AutoText or building blocks and toolbars, according to Word developer Shauna Kelly. You cannot have a Word document without a template, but you can attach a new template to a document. You can remove global templates you do not use often to speed up Word or you can make a new document with a different template and copy information into it.

Things You'll Need

• Word 2007

Instructions

Attach a New Template

1. Start Word and load the document based on the template you do not want to use. Click on the "Microsoft Office" button and then click "Word Options."

2. Click on "Add-ins" in the left task pane. The right task pane changes to the View and Manage Microsoft Add-ins screen. At the bottom of the right task pane, click the "Manage" drop-down list and click on "Templates."

3. Click the "Templates" tab, and then click the "Attach" button. Navigate to the template you want to base the document on and click "Open." Check the "Automatically Update Document Styles" check box and then click "OK." This does not change what the current document looks like, but it changes the template the document is based on.

Remove a Global Template

1. Open Word. Click on the "Microsoft Office" button and click "Word Options."

2. Click on "Add-ins." Click the "Manage" drop-down list and click on "Templates."

3. Click the "Go" button to bring up the Templates and Add-ins dialog box. You can remove the template by either clearing the check box next to its name in the Global templates and add-ins field or you can select the template name and click the "Remove" button. Click "OK" to remove the template.

Use a Different Template

1. Start Word, and then click on the "Microsoft Office" button. Click on "New" and choose the template you want to base a document on from the Templates task pane on the left.

2. Open the document you want to copy information from by clicking on the "Microsoft Office" button and clicking "Open." Navigate to the file, select the file name, and click "Open."

3. Select all the information in the document by pressing the Control key plus the letter A. Press the Control key plus the letter C to copy the information from the second document. Press the Alt key plus the Tab key to move to the other document. Press the Control key plus the letter V to paste the information into a new document based on the template you want to use.

Tips & Warnings

• Word 2003 and 2010 also use templates for documents. You can remove, attach and copy in these programs also, but the directions are different.

References

• Microsoft Online: About Loading and Unloading Global Templates and Add-In Programs
• Microsoft Online: Load or Unload a Template or Add-in Program
• Shauna Kelly: What Happens When I Attach a New Template to My Document?
• Shauna Kelly: What is the Relationship between a Microsoft Word Document and Its Template?