Word 2003 has a habit of losing settings configured in tools > options. The
only certain cure is to force on the ones that go awry using auto macros.
The ones that affect me most are fixed as follows (includes rulers).

Sub AutoNew()
ActiveWindow.ActivePane.DisplayRulers = True
ActiveWindow.ActivePane.View.ShowAll = False
ActiveWindow.DisplayHorizontalScrollBar = True
ActiveWindow.DisplayVerticalScrollBar = True
With ActiveWindow.View
   .Type = wdPrintView
   .Zoom.Percentage = 100
   .FieldShading = wdFieldShadingWhenSelected
   .ShowFieldCodes = False
   .DisplayPageBoundaries = True
End With
CommandBars("Reviewing").Visible = False
CommandBars("Drawing").Visible = False
CommandBars("Forms").Visible = False
End Sub

Sub AutoOpen()
ActiveWindow.Caption = ActiveDocument.FullName
ActiveWindow.ActivePane.DisplayRulers = True
ActiveWindow.ActivePane.View.ShowAll = False
ActiveWindow.DisplayHorizontalScrollBar = True
ActiveWindow.DisplayVerticalScrollBar = True
With ActiveWindow.View
   .Type = wdPrintView
   .Zoom.Percentage = 100
   .FieldShading = wdFieldShadingWhenSelected
   .ShowFieldCodes = False
   .DisplayPageBoundaries = True
End With
End Sub

http://www.gmayor.com/installing_macro.htm