# Office 2010 problem

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-2010-problem/714548>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 8, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-2010-problem/714548 "2015-03-08T19:35:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-2010-problem/714548/1 "2015-03-08T19:35:51Z")

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Every time I try to create a new document, the same old document arises. I cannot seem to delete this, and it is making the entire program difficult to work with. Clearly I am doing something wrong, I just do not know what that something is.l

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**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2015, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-2010-problem/714548/2 "2015-03-08T20:32:37Z")

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You can try resetting the normal.dot template:

> **[How to Restore MS Office Normal Template](https://smallbusiness.chron.com/restore-ms-office-normal-template-63456.html)**
>
> In Microsoft Word, you can customize the default document that opens when you open the program by editing the normal template -- called Normal.dotm -- file. This file contains the default styles and customizations for the document and helps you save...

(Someone might’ve accidentally saved a document as the default template)

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**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2015, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-2010-problem/714548/3 "2015-03-08T20:35:15Z")

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You accidentally saved a document to the default template for blank documents, that’s why the old document appears each time you start a new document. The easiest way to correct this is to just delete the default template, which is called normal.dotm . Word will recreate a fresh copy of normal.dotm the next time you open it.

Directions here:

[http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2387066,00.asp](http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2387066,00.asp)