Writer's Workbench

How to recover the Writer's Workbench Tools after Word crashes

Microsoft Word and / or your computer can crash for a number of reasons.  Hardware problems, Software problems, or power problems can cause this.

If you are using Writer's Workbench when Microsoft Word or your computer crashes, the template that controls Writer's Workbench in Microsoft Word (WWB.DOT) might not load thereafter.  You can probably correct this problem by following this procedure.


WORD 2003 OR EARLIER:

After double-clicking on the Writer's Workbench icon and noticing that the WWB Toolbar is not available -

Click on Tools, Templates and Add-Ins ... and look at the bottom section, the section labeled
Global templates and add-ins as shown.

  1. If wwb.dot (it might be capitalized and might display only be "wwb") is displayed but not checked, check it and click "OK."  If the WWB Toolbar is still not displayed, click on View, Toolbars , and make sure that "Writer's Workbench" is checked.  You should be ready to use Writer's Workbench again.
  2. If wwb.dot (wwb) is not displayed, click on the "Add..." button and browse to C:\wwb\Templates.
  3. Select WWB.DOT (again, it might be WWB) and "OK your way out," making sure that WWB.DOT is checked when you are complete.  If the WWB Toolbar is still not displayed, click on View, Toolbars, and make sure that "Writer's Workbench" is checked.

You should be ready to use Writer's Workbench again.


WORD 2007 / Word 2010:

Follow this procedure if the "Add-Ins" tab with the Writer's Workbench is no longer displayed in Word 2007 or Word 2010.

First, click on the Office button (or File in Word 2010) in the upper-left corner.

Then, click on the Word Options button.

Click on Add-Ins.

Toward the bottom, next to  "Manage:," use the pull-down selector to select Templates.

Click Go...

Behind the Templates tab, you should have wwb.dot checked.

  1. If WWB.DOT (it might not be capitalized and might only be displayed as "WWB") is listed but not checked, check it and click "OK."   The Add-Ins tab should appear with the Writer's Workbench toolbar, as shown below.
  2. If  WWB.DOT(WWB) is not listed, click on the "Add..." button and browse to C:\WWB\Templates (or corresponding folder where Writer's Workbench is installed).
  3. Select WWB.DOT (again, it might be WWB) and "OK your way out," making sure that WWB.DOT is checked when you are complete.

You should be ready to use Writer's Workbench again.

The WWB Composition ribbon should now be available as the first ribbon in Word.

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