Every time I close Word on macOS, I get a popup

Question

I get a popup asking: "Changes have been made to the global template, Normal.dotm. Do you want to save those changes?" Even if I click "No," the prompt returns the next time I use Word. I haven't manually modified my styles or templates, so it seems like a background process or an Add-in is forcing it

Answer 1

Hi Noma Ochoa

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum and sharing your experience.

The prompt you’re seeing indicates that Word has detected changes to its global template (Normal.dotm) during the session. As a result, Word treats the template as modified and prompts you to save it when exiting. You can try the following steps on macOS to isolate and resolve the issue.

1, Check and disable add‑ins or global templates

• Open Word, then go to Tools > Templates and Add‑ins.
• Under Global Templates and Add‑ins, check whether any items are listed.
• Temporarily uncheck all listed items, select OK, restart Word, and then close Word again to see if the prompt still appears.
• If the prompt no longer appears, you can re‑enable the add‑ins one at a time to identify which one is triggering the change.

2, Reset the Normal.dotm template

• Quit all Office applications completely.
• Open Finder and press Command + Shift + G.
• Paste the following path and press Enter: ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Templates
• Locate Normal.dotm and rename it (for example to Normal.old) or move it to your desktop.
• Restart Word and test again.

3, Suppress the prompt

Please note that this workaround hides the symptom rather than addressing the underlying cause that is modifying the template.

• Go to Word > Preferences > Save, then uncheck “Prompt before saving Normal template”.
• 

Please let me know how things go on your side as your update can also assist others in the community who may be facing the same issue.

---

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Answer 2

The issue you are experiencing with Word on macOS, where you receive a popup asking if you want to save changes to the global template (Normal.dotm), can often be caused by several factors. Here are some potential solutions:

1. Update Word: Make sure you are using the latest version of Word. Sometimes, simply updating the application can resolve unexpected behavior.
2. Check for Add-ins: An add-in may be modifying the global template. Try disabling any add-ins to see if the problem persists. You can do this by going to the Tools menu and selecting Add-ins.
3. Remove Automatic Macros: Automatic macros may be running in the background and causing changes to the global template. You can remove these by going to the Developer tab, clicking on Macros, and deleting any macro that starts with "Auto".
4. Lock the Global Template: Locking the global template can help prevent unauthorized changes. You can do this by accessing the Visual Basic Editor via the Developer tab and setting a password for the project.
5. Antivirus Software: Ensure that your antivirus software is up to date, as some macro viruses can alter the global template, leading to this prompt.

These steps should help you resolve the issue with the popup when closing Word.

---

References:

• You are prompted to save the changes to the global template every time that you exit Word 2007 or Word 2010
• You are prompted to save the changes to the global template every time that you exit Word 2007 or Word 2010