Need Help - dotm - what is this and why can't I open the file

File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings (button)

File Block Settings

Uncheck the ones you want to be able to open and save in. All of the word versions before Word 2007 are binary files. They are more subject to corruption (falling apart) and not as "robust."

Those earlier versions are the .doc and .dot files.

The .docx files are documents that do not contain macros. The .docm file is a document that is able to hold macros. .dotx and .dotm files are the corresponding file formats for templates.

Note, the screen shot above is from Word 2010. My guess is that the one from 2013 has another line for Word 2010.

I'm quite illiterate when it comes to technology.  The microsoft files were ones from a previous computer but I couldn't open them - the pop-up page was nothing I could decipher; there was were bunch of languages to choose from and I don't know which one to choose.

So, I copied the files (version 97 - 2003) to a CD and opened them on my laptop which has 2013 - I had used this method previously and it worked - the files opened and I could save them as Microsoft Word 2013.  

When I opened the CD on my laptop and was asked to save the document, I got the message about saving dotm.  Not knowing what dotm meant I hit the save file and after that none of the word 97-2003 document would open in word - I just got the popup page with the nonsense listed.  

I would my computer (word files) restored before I hit the dotm message.  I

Why on earth would I get that message -- I understand m stands for macro -- I've never made a macro.  

I thought that no matter what version of word, that 2010 and 2013 would open ANY document created using any previous version of microsoft word.  That doesn't appear to be the case.  Why not?  People have older files using previous versions that they want to open.