The DOTX file extension was created by the Microsoft Corporation for use in their Microsoft Word application. This is a newly defined format that users can save their Microsoft Word 2007 document with. The format is a combination of ZIP compression and XML architecture wherein the size of the document can be reduced for more convenient handling.
Word documents that are saved in DOTX format are actually template files. Meaning, this type of files is created by users who want to generate several documents in the same formatting. A DOTX file contains default settings, formats and layouts of a document. This includes styling, toolbars used, macros and even auto text settings. It has the same purpose with a DOT format template file; however, a DOTX is based on an Open XML format and therefore more sophisticated and allows for compression and file size reduction.
When a user opens or creates a new Word document, the application loads the normal template which was saved as the file Normal.DOTX. This template however can be modified by the user so he can create his own default settings every time he starts a new document.
Though the DOTX file format is originally introduced for use with Microsoft Word 2007, previous versions of Word, like Word 2003 can still open this file (if it was updated with an Open XML component support). The development of this new file format or extension actually improves file and data administration, data recovery and even interoperability with other business systems.
Obviously, only the following programs can open a DOTX file:
| Mac OS | Microsoft Word 2011 or previous versions
Planamesa NeoOffice |
| Windows | Microsoft Word 2010 or previous versions |
