right click new document does not use my default template

[Bugmanmd]

when I right click and make a new document on my desktop, that document does not use the default document template. Instead, this strange “preformatted text” template is automatically selected.

How can I change this so that my right click new document uses my default document template?

I’ve tried to edit the odt file that I think is loaded:
C:\Program Files\LibreOffice\share\template\shellnew\soffice.odt

but that made no difference. Please tell me how to fix this right click, new document template?

[ajlittoz]

What’s the expected outcome of a right-click open? (I’m on Linux, this might be different) You seem to have a mis-configuration with your template. See my last comment in your other question. You shouldn’t need any special open procedure.

[mikekaganski]

The crucial information in your question (that I overlooked initially) is the file format - that is DOCX in the title on screenshot.

LibreOffice does not create any DOC/DOCX entries in “New” context menu. It only created ODT text document entry, and that entry depends on the LibreOffice template in the C:\Program Files\LibreOffice\share\template\shellnew.

What you use is the entry created by MS Office. And what you see is tdf#120822 - and not a LibreOffice issue, but the result of MS Office using invalid empty files as an indication to itself to create new files. Please read the cited issue’s comment 4 (and later) for the details.

[Bugmanmd]

Got it - that tdf#120822 explained the issue very well. Thank you.

You are correct, that my right click blank document entries were made by MS Word, didn’t think of that.
So bottom line - - looks like those files I make with right click, new === are just not going to be formatted correctly for libreoffice. They do open up correctly in MS-Word, and then if saved with CTRL-S, still maintain the proper .doc format.

I’ll have to do a few clicks extra to work around this in the future, because I want to only use LO.
thank you !

[mikekaganski]

I’d advise to not create/store documents in foreign formats (like DOC(X) in LibreOffice case) - because any foreign format support in any application is always imperfect, and different problems may arise, like formatting loss or even data loss.

The advise is to stick to native (ODT) format for daily work/storage, and only export to foreign formats when really needed (e.g. sending to someone who is unable to open ODT).

[Bugmanmd]

Yes, I see where the pre-defined template is - C:\Program Files\LibreOffice\share\template\shellnew\soffice.odt
But that is my question - if I make my document, get everything set, then save it as a template, replacing the soffice.odt file, this does not solve my problem.

After I right click, new… then open that .doc file, it still loads with this “text” format, not a word .doc format at all. As shown in my screen capture. Then I have to do a save as… to change it into a .doc file or else all formatting is lost when I save.

I’d like to be able to right click, NEW, Microsoft word 97-2003 document
now there is a blank document on the desktop
double click to open it in LibreOffice
and then just type, click CTRL-S to save, and it should be in word format, with my default format settings.

seems like the problem is in editing that soffice.odt file
can you tell me how to edit that to save with the paragraph style, indenting, spacing that I want be default?
because my efforts have not worked so far.