Fix Word Template Building Blocks Lost After Office Click-to-Run Update

After an Office Click-to-Run update, you may open Word and find that your custom building blocks such as headers, footers, cover pages, and Quick Parts have disappeared from the galleries. This happens because the update can reset the default template file Normal.dotm or change the user templates folder path, causing Word to lose the reference to your stored building blocks. This article explains why Click-to-Run updates affect building block storage and provides a step-by-step method to recover your lost entries without rebuilding them from scratch.

Why Click-to-Run Updates Remove Your Building Blocks

Office Click-to-Run updates replace the entire Office installation rather than applying patches to existing files. During this process, the installer may overwrite the Normal.dotm template in the User Templates folder with a fresh default version. This action deletes any custom building blocks stored in that template. In other cases, the update changes the User Templates path in Word’s file location settings to a different folder, so Word can no longer find your Normal.dotm and the building blocks it contains.

Building blocks are stored in template files with a .dotx or .dotm extension. The default storage location is Normal.dotm. When Word cannot locate the template that holds your building blocks, the galleries appear empty. The fix involves either redirecting Word to the correct template or copying the building blocks from a backup into the active template.

Steps to Recover Lost Building Blocks After a Click-to-Run Update

Follow these steps in order. Do not skip Step 1 as it is the most common cause of missing building blocks.

Step 1: Re-enable Disabled Add-ins

1. Open Word and go to File > Options > Add-ins
   In the Add-ins pane, look at the Manage dropdown at the bottom. Select Disabled Items from the list and click Go.
2. Check for a disabled building blocks add-in
   If you see an entry named Building Blocks or anything related to your template, select it and click Enable. Restart Word and check the galleries.

Step 2: Verify the User Templates Folder Path

1. Go to File > Options > Advanced
   Scroll down to the General section and click the File Locations button.
2. Check the User templates path
   In the File Locations dialog, look for User templates. The path should point to your actual template folder, typically C:\Users\[YourUserName]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates. If the path is incorrect or points to a different folder, select User templates and click Modify. Browse to the correct folder and click OK. Restart Word.

Step 3: Use the Organizer to Copy Building Blocks From a Backup

If you have a backup of your Normal.dotm or a custom .dotx file that contains your building blocks, use the Organizer to copy them into the active template.

1. Open Word and press Ctrl+F8 to open the Organizer
   Alternatively, go to Developer > Document Template > Organizer. If the Developer tab is not visible, enable it via File > Options > Customize Ribbon.
2. Click the Building Blocks tab in the Organizer
   The left pane shows the current template (usually Normal.dotm). The right pane is empty by default.
3. Open your backup template in the right pane
   Click Close File on the right side, then click Open File. Navigate to your backup .dotx or .dotm file and select it. The right pane now lists the building blocks from that backup.
4. Select and copy the building blocks to the left pane
   Press Ctrl+A to select all building blocks in the right pane. Click Copy. The blocks appear in the left pane under the active template. Click Close and save changes when prompted.

Step 4: Manually Recreate a Missing Building Block Gallery

If you do not have a backup and the galleries remain empty, you can rebuild a specific building block using the Quick Part gallery.

1. Select the content you want to save as a building block
   Highlight the text, image, table, or other element in your document.
2. Go to Insert > Quick Parts > Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery
   The Create New Building Block dialog opens. Give it a meaningful name. For Gallery, choose the appropriate gallery such as Headers, Footers, or Cover Pages. For Save in, select Normal.dotm. Click OK.

If Building Blocks Are Still Missing After These Steps

Word Shows an Empty Building Blocks Organizer

If the Organizer shows no building blocks in either pane, your Normal.dotm may have been completely replaced. In this case, check for an automatic backup file. Word sometimes creates a backup named Backup of Normal.dotm in the same Templates folder. If present, rename it to Normal.dotm after closing Word. Restart Word and check the galleries.

Building Blocks Appear But Do Not Insert Correctly

If a building block inserts but the content is wrong or missing fields, the building block definition may be corrupted. Delete the faulty block using the Organizer, then recreate it from the original source content as described in Step 4.

Click-to-Run Update Runs Again and Removes Blocks

To prevent future updates from overwriting your Normal.dotm, store your building blocks in a separate custom template file. Create a new .dotx file via File > Save As > Word Template. Save your building blocks into that file using the Create New Building Block dialog, selecting your custom template in the Save in dropdown. Then, load that template as a global add-in via Developer > Document Template > Add > select your .dotx file. This keeps your building blocks separate from Normal.dotm and safe from updates.

Normal.dotm vs Custom Template: Building Block Storage Comparison

Item	Normal.dotm	Custom Template (.dotx or .dotm)
Default storage location	User Templates folder	Any folder you choose
Risk of loss during Click-to-Run update	High — update may overwrite the file	Low — update does not touch custom templates
Recovery method after loss	Must restore from backup or recreate	Reattach the template via Document Template dialog
Availability to all documents	Automatic — always loaded	Requires manual loading as global add-in
Backup recommendation	Regularly copy Normal.dotm to a safe location	Store in a cloud folder or backup drive

You can now recover missing building blocks after a Click-to-Run update by re-enabling disabled add-ins, verifying the User Templates path, and using the Organizer to copy blocks from a backup. To avoid this issue in the future, store your custom building blocks in a dedicated .dotx template loaded as a global add-in. This method keeps your work separate from Normal.dotm and unaffected by Office updates.