WD: Contemporary Memo Document Missing Object or Shows Rectangle

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
• Microsoft Word for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a

SYMPTOMS

In Word 6.x or 7.x, when you open a document created in Word 97 using the Contemporary Memo template, one of the following will occur:

• The drawing object is missing.

      -or-
  

• A rectangle is displayed in place of the drawing object.

CAUSE

This functionality is by design. Earlier versions of Word do not include AutoShapes. Thus, the AutoShape objects are not converted when you do any of the following:

• Save a Word 97 file in Word 6.0/95 format.

      -or-
  

• Save the file in Rich Text Format (*.RTF).

      -or-
  

• Open the Word 97 document in Word 6.0 or 7.0 using the Word 97 converter.

WORKAROUND

NOTE: Microsoft does not support the modifications of its templates. Modifications done by the user are at the user's risk and constitute no obligations or warranties, either written or expressed, by Microsoft.

To modify the Contemporary Memo.dot file so that you can open it in an earlier version of Word without error, follow these steps:

  1. In Word 97, open the "Contemporary Memo.dot" template.

     NOTE: This template can usually be found in the following location:

        C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates

  2. Click to select the object, and then click Cut on the Edit menu.

  3. On the View menu, click Header And Footer.

  4. On the Edit menu, click Paragraph.

  5. On the Indents And Spacing tab, under Indentation, change Left and
     Right to 0", and then click OK.

     NOTE: By default, the Left and Right Indentations are set to -0.75".

  6. On the Edit menu, click Paste Special.

  7. In the Paste Special dialog box, click to select Picture. Check to
     ensure the Float Over Text check box is selected, and then click OK.

  8. Click to select the pasted object. On the Format menu, click Picture.

        On the Position tab, change the settings as follows
        ---------------------------------------------------

           Horizontal: 0.5"          From: Page

           Vertical  : 4.5"          From: Page

           Click to select the Lock anchor check box.

        On the Wrapping tab
        -------------------

           Under Wrapping style, click to select None.

  9. On the Header and Footer toolbar, click Close.

 10. On the File menu, click Page Setup.

 11. On the Margins tab, change the Top margin to a negative value. For
     example, if your top margin is set to 1.17", change the top margin to
     - 1.17", and then click OK.

 12. Save and close your template.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q157088
   TITLE     : WD97: Limitations Converting Documents from Word 97 to
               6.x/95

   ARTICLE-ID: Q162214
   TITLE     : WD: How to Obtain the Word 97 Converter

NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the Standard toolbar. If Microsoft Help is not installed on your computer, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q120802
   TITLE     : Office: How to Add/Remove a Single Office
               Program or Component