.dotx files have stopped functioning

Question

A few days ago after the last office update (Windows 10, Office 365), the icons for my templates changed and the templates no longer work as they should. If I double click on a template icon, the template itself opens rather than launching a document from the template. Further if I right click on the template, I no longer get the options New and Open - I am only offered to Edit the file.  This is incredibly frustrating as not only do I use templates all the time but I also demonstrate to people in training how to use them and I am not able to do that now. I have tried doing an Office repair but nothing has changed. This is a very stressful issue. I wish I had never done the update as it has caused this problem. Please advise on how it can be resolved as quickly as possible.

Answer 1

Updates will not do this to your laptop.

Can you post a screenshot of what the file looks like when it has been opened. That may tell me or someone else what is going on.

Here's how to post a screenshot:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/for...

Is this all templates?

Answer 2

This is not something within the Word program itself. It is not something in Office. It is not something in Windows. It is another program on your computer. The instructions I gave in my last post may help you figure out which program. Look at the ones added or changed recently first.

Have you used any registry cleaning program recently? (I am not recommending that you do so, I am asking.)

1. Look into the Add-ins (previous post)
2. If you do not know how to access the classic FileNew dialog you do not know File > New. Here is another shot of that dialog.

I recognize that this is not how you want to use your templates. I am providing this information to help you be able to use them while we figure out what is going on with your computer.

Your custom document templates should be stored in either the User Templates folder or the Workgroup Templates folder. The location for saving Custom Office Templates should be set to be your User Templates folder, IMO.

You can put shortcuts to your templates anywhere you want, but those are the locations to actually store the templates.

Answer 3

(written before your response)

You could try disabling all Add-Ins and see if that helps. This would have to be done from within Word rather than using the command-line method.

Here is more about Add-Ins:

Add-Ins in Microsoft Word

In my opinion, the easiest way to control them is through the Developer Tab. For this kind of behavior, I would suspect a COM Add-In.

Answer 4

First, there is File > New which should give you access to creating new documents from your templates.

Ideal for this, IMO, is the classic FileNew dialog rather than the stuff that MS has imposed in recent versions.

See File New Variations in the Versions of Word.

http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/fileNew.htm

That gives direction on how to locate your templates so that you can use them from within Word as well as on how to access the classic dialog. While this is the best way to use templates, you should be able to use them directly from Windows as well.

That re-registration did not fix this tells me that something outside of Word and Office is influencing your computer.

I will return with more thoughts.

Answer 5

Hi Sally,

Open the Run box to get a command-line interface.

WindowsKey+R

Try typing (or pasting):

winword.exe /r

Then press Enter.

If Windows can't find the program, take a look at my web page "My docs open in the wrong program! Re-registering Word using the commandline."

http://addbalance.com/word/reregister.htm

The webpage has more refinements to help Windows know where to look.

Otherwise, you say you tried to repair. Was that repair an online repair? (Takes more than 30 mins but less than 1 hour in general)

https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Repair-an-Office-application-7821d4b6-7c1d-4205-aa0e-a6b40c5bb88b

An additional step would be to run a scan to find and repair files.

To do that, you would bring up a command prompt window in administrator mode.

1. In Cortana type Command.

2.You will see Command Prompt.

3. Right-click on that and run as Administrator.
4. Then type or paste the following into the command prompt black box:

sfc /scannow

5. Then press the Enter key.

This forum is a user-to-user support forum. I am a fellow user. 

I hope this information helps.

You are asked below whether this response solved your problem, please do not answer that question for this or any response unless the answer is "yes" or unless you feel that the response is not helpful to you in resolving your problem. Otherwise it reports the response as not being helpful. A "no" answer on any response will not give you any more help than not answering but will give negative reinforcement to the person who responded. On the other hand, a "yes" answer to that question helps other users with the same or a similar question by directing them to the response.

**What can help you get more help is providing more information or examples about the problem you are facing.**You can do that by replying to this post (Reply button below). Please let me know if you have any more questions or require further help.

Regards