Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2019 February 21

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February 21

Where Is Normal.dot?

If I am using Windows 10 and Office 365, where does Microsoft Word look for the normal.dot template? Just how do I look for it starting down from the root of the C: drive? Robert McClenon (talk) 21:26, 21 February 2019 (UTC)

I'm not sure whether it changed in O365, but for 2010-2016 it was in

C:\users\[username]\Appdata\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates

for a roaming profile. I'd assume that it is in

C:\users\[username]\Appdata\Local\Microsoft\Templates

for the non-roaming version but I can't check. Note that Appdata is usually a hidden folder. Rmvandijk (talk) 12:22, 22 February 2019 (UTC)

User:Rmvandijk - Yes, there it is. Robert McClenon (talk) 04:56, 23 February 2019 (UTC)

What is the difference between a local profile and a roaming profile? I can't find the Templates folder for a local profile. I found the template for a roaming profile, but the date on it isn't a recent date, but the date when I set up the machine. Robert McClenon (talk) 05:14, 23 February 2019 (UTC)

See Roaming user profile.Thomprod (talk) 14:08, 23 February 2019 (UTC)

User:Robert McClenon: The normal.dot(m) is only saved when the template is changed, AFAIK this is done when you update headings and such, at my work we set word to ask before overwriting this (don't ask me how, I try to keep away from styles/templates as much as I can :P).

Is the date you see in the folder the date created or the date modified? If the later, then your still using the original template or the location I gave you isn't where your word gets its template from. If you are using custom user template these are saved in C:\Users\[username]\Documents\Custom Office Templates\ by default. You can see where if you go to file => options => save in Word. As I mentioned before this is in Ofice 2013, so if they changed things around in O365 this might be inaccurate in some points. Rmvandijk (talk) 12:14, 25 February 2019 (UTC)

User:Rmvandijk - I don't see a Custom Office Templates folder in Documents, and I don't see folders in Documents, which has only documents. Is there a typo? Robert McClenon (talk) 18:04, 25 February 2019 (UTC)

User:Robert McClenon - My document folder is empty as well, but that is because I don't have those custom templates. It is where my Word says it would save them though. I've never understood how the word templates work, part of their template seems to be saved in a document and part of it uses the normal.dot. I'd try changing the template and see if your normal.dot is updated, but I'm afraid that is as far as my knowledge on the matter goes :( Rmvandijk (talk) 09:27, 26 February 2019 (UTC)

Notes App on Android Phone

I was asked whether there is a Notes app on an Android phone. That is, an application where I can just write notes to myself. I know that I can send a text message to myself, but that isn't exactly what I want, and relies also on the carrier. Is there a Notes application, or something equivalent? (Something like using Word as a scratchpad on a Windows laptop.) Robert McClenon (talk) 21:29, 21 February 2019 (UTC)

The most popular are probably Google Keep and Evernote; both are the kind that store your notes "in the cloud" (which may or may not appeal to you). -- Finlay McWalter··–·Talk 21:43, 21 February 2019 (UTC)

I have two questions about cloud storage. The first one, which is well known, and where I know that there is a party-line answer, is how secure the cloud is. I know that the official answer is that the cloud is secure. I trust the management of Google more than the management of Facebook, which says nothing, given that we know that Facebook is a rogue operation that peddles your data. The second is whether cloud storage is retrievable if, for any reason, I am out of wireless communication with cell towers. Robert McClenon (talk) 22:41, 21 February 2019 (UTC)

1) Who knows. Don't count on it. 2) the note app caches a copy locally. -- Finlay McWalter··–·Talk 23:30, 21 February 2019 (UTC)

Just searching for "Notes app" on the Google Play store finds a number of options. I use Evernote myself but if all you're looking to do is to store a digital Post-it note on your phone, then Evernote would be overkill. †dismas†|^(talk) 00:07, 22 February 2019 (UTC)

Incoming and Outgoing Text Messages

That brings up a question, which is whether my text conversations are stored physically on my cell phone, in the cloud, or both. Robert McClenon (talk) 22:41, 21 February 2019 (UTC)

Both. -- Finlay McWalter··–·Talk 23:30, 21 February 2019 (UTC)

Assuming by text conversations you mean SMS, then it depends on the phone and the app used for SMS. For example the Messaging app that is common on a lot of Android phones doesn't generally store SMS on the cloud, although there are various backup apps you can install to do this for you. Hangouts which Google has made various attempts to make the default SMS app but which is not being transitioned, normally does. (I haven't paid that much attention to what the plan is with Hangouts replacement re: SMS.) Also, if you backup your phone to the cloud, this will often include SMS. Prior to the SMS being retrieved, it will be stored on some server. It's possible it will stay around even after being sent to your for various reasons. But I wouldn't really call that stored on the cloud. Nil Einne (talk) 06:57, 24 February 2019 (UTC)

Actually a while later but I found out that it seems Google added cloud backup for SMS for Pixel (although I think also Nexus) possibly in Android 6 although you will need to have it enabled. [1] [2] I think this uses the messaging service so works fine with the Messaging app. From the second ref, it's possible some have worked with Google to enable this on their phones. I guess others may have their own solution which hooks into the messaging service or whatever so works fine with the Messaging app. (Yet others may simply substitute the Messaging app.) It's also possible some back it up but don't provide an easy way to restore it or access it so people are unaware it's actually backed up. Nil Einne (talk) 15:29, 31 March 2019 (UTC)

I use the Editor app from f<droid.org. I'm sure there are fancier ones but I tend to prefer f-droid apps for privacy and similar reasons. 2602:24A:DE47:BA60:5433:429A:DFBA:C818 (talk) 06:31, 22 February 2019 (UTC)