One of the major frustrations in Word is knowing how to edit a template file. Once created, you can use the template over and over. But to edit the template file, you have to follow some rather stupid and outrageous steps.

I suppose the official way to edit a template file is to start a new document with that template file. Make your changes. Then save the document as a template again, over-writing the original. That works, but it’s not the way people are trained to think about computers.

No, the way people think about computers is that you open a file to edit it. That works in all situations. It’s a paradigm. But the paradigm falls to crap when you try to edit a template file in Word.

Word stores its template files in a folder buried within the complexities of the PC’s hard drive. Unlike other personal files, templates are not easily found in your personal area, the “Home” folder, if you’re using the Unix parlance. (It’s called your User Profile in Windows.)

Long ago, the locations for the template files varied, depending on which version of Windows you were using as well as which version of Word was installed. Listing the locations for the files was a nightmare. Today things are stabilizing. Most folks have Windows XP and are using wither Word 2002/2003 or Word 2007. A few folks have Windows Vista and Word 2007. That narrows the possibilities.

I’ve devised a shortcut for Word 2002/2003/2007 and Windows XP/Vista. To edit one of your Word templates, follow these steps:

1. Start Word, if you haven’t already.
2. Press Ctrl+O to summon the Open dialog box.
3. Open your account home folder, that’s the folder with your account name. On my computer it’s Dan. In Windows XP, it’s the folder just “above” the My Documents folder. In Windows Vista, it’s the folder just about the Documents folder. The folder has the same name as your account.
4. In Windows XP type Application Data into the filename box. In Windows Vista, type in AppData. These are folders normally hidden from view, but you can type them into the file name box because Windows is designed to find even hidden folders when you type in their exact names.
5. Click the Open button to open the Application Data or AppData folder. Because only that folder is hidden, its subfolders appear in the Open dialog box. You’re now safely on your way to finding the templates folder.
6. In Windows Vista only, open the Roaming folder.
7. Open the Microsoft folder.
8. Open the Templates folder.

And there are your template files for Microsoft Word. Any template file you created should be listed there. If not, ensure that you have chosen All Word Documents or Word Documents or All Word Templates or Word Templates from the Files of Type drop-down list in the Open dialog box.

Remember: You’re opening a template file directly. That means that Word does not stat a new document and all the changes you make will be saved to the template file, not a new document.