Can’t Change Word Templates In Word 365

Topic

I want to edit one of my personal templates which is stored in C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\ but the AppData folder is not available to open from Word (I can see it in File Manager so it is not hidden there). Following directions on technical support, I have just done a repair of Office 365 and that hasn’t cured the problem. The template in question appears when I want to create a document so I know Word can access it.

Please can someone tell me how to edit a template in Word 365?

Replies

Paul,

Run Word as Administrator.

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

I have just tried that and still can’t see the AppData folder :o(

Try this method:

Open File Explorer and navigate to the ‘Microsoft’ folder which contains the Template folder.

Expand the ‘Quick Access’ menu if it isn’t already, then locate the Template folder and then drag its shortcut to the QA.

Now open Word and use your normal method to browse for/access different folders/files, then locate the Template folder in the ‘QA’, then select your template to subsequently use.

@Moonshine – I have now got a pinned link to Templates in Quick Access as visible in File Manager. I didn’t have the toolbar you had below the ribbon in Word. I assumed that this was the Word Quick Access toolbar so added “Open” to that and set it to display below the ribbon. When I clicked on the new Open icon it took me to the same menu you see when clicking on “File” rather than the File Explorer display that you got. What am I doing wrong?

Try this method to not open the ‘Backstage’ when clicking that QA entry:

Navigate to your Options – Save – Check: Don’t show backstage when opening or saving files . . . . .

1 user thanked author for this post.

PaulB

@Moonshine – Thank you so much! I can now access my template via File Explorer to edit it!

WinKey + R to open Run box
Paste the following
%appdata%\Microsoft\Templates
Press Enter key
This will open File Explorer to Word’s templates regardless of the settings in File Explorer.

Open the template listed in File Explorer.
Make the changes you want.
Press Ctrl + S to save the template and close the template.

Opening a new document will open based on your modified Normal template.

HTH, Dana:))

@Drcard – Following your instructions opens the relevant template to produce a new document based on the template (which I can do from the main Word menu anyway). What I wanted to do, and can now do following Moonshine’s instructions above, is to open the template itself and make changes to it. Thanks anyway for your reply and apologies for not marking the matter “RESOLVED” sooner.