How do I prevent Word from redisplaying multiple minimized open documents when opening a new document?

Anonymous
2010-04-01T09:17:27+00:00

When I have multiple Word documents open, but minimized and I open an already created document, all of the minimized documents will get redisplayed (ie. maximized) to the screen.  Additionally, I believe the last edited document will be displayed on top and its listing on the start/task bar will begin flashing and it will not turn off until the flashing listing is clicked.  I then have to reminimize all of the documents and navigate to the document that I originally wanted open.

As a user, I would want all of the open minimized documents to remain minimized and the document that I'm opening to be presented without having to click anything on the start/task bar.

dmurf

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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Anonymous
2012-08-11T17:55:48+00:00

Try this:  Right-click on the lower taskbar (the dark band that runs across the bottom of your screen), in an empty space, not on an icon.  You should see a small window open up that gives you different options for displaying the documents you are working on.  Cascade windows is sometimes helpful if you are going back and forth between different documents.  You can drag the edges of a document so that you can see two documents at the same time.  You just need to click on one to bring it more to the  front.  Stacked windows is another option.  Then you will see all of the documents at once.  That may be what you have had selected.  Side-by-side windows is another.  Experiment with these options.  It may help you.

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Anonymous
2010-04-01T21:52:51+00:00

A newly opened document will not cause other minimized or open Word documents to come to the front. But the newly opened document will not come to the front itself, it launches as an open window. 

The easiest way to eliminate that is by using keyboard shortcuts:

To minimize all the windows and get back to the desktop:        Windows + D

To open a new word blank document                              :       CTRL + N

To open a word document from a location                       :       CTRL + O        

There's an option under Word Options / Advanced / Display, named Show all windows in the taskbar. Turning it off hides all Word icons in the taskbar but one. This way the described behavior disappears but at the same time goes the ease of restoring a minimized document.

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-06-12T22:59:39+00:00

    Keith:

    Your solution also works for me on Office 2013 on Windows 8 Pro.

    Cool! I found that the problem still exists when opening a .doc/.docx file in readonly mode, like you might do from Sharepoint. I haven't found a workaround for it yet, but I'm just glad that it's not opening every minimized Word window when I open through File Explorer.

    I have to say your solution has worked!!! for me with win 7 ultimate 64bit with office 2010.

    Keith i don't think you realize how much frustration you have saved us with your solution.

    This has been ongoing for a long time. I thought i could accept but nahhh. Today i was thinking how could this be fixed and decided to visit the thread for news.

    Such a simple solution and you found it. Feel free to charge all of us here in the thread and so on 1$. You deserve it!

    As far as MS goes i suggest everyone to keep ripping them off. They simply don't care and i don't consider this issue a small one. Instead they keep bringing new often useless features, instead of keeping things bug free and working well.

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-05-04T21:30:23+00:00

    Below is a copy of my post from late 2012, which I think still addresses the current state of this problem (though Microsoft support never did post an official response after I spoke with them). -- david.nc

    david.nc replied on

    -

    Since I bought Office 2010 recently, I was able to obtain Microsoft tech support for this question while under warranty.

    After working on the problem for many hours with level 1 and 2 technicians, I was ultimately transferred to level 3 support.

    My version of the problem involves Word 2010 maximizing one previously minimized file behind any new Word file that I open.

    After looking into it, the level 3 person explained that opening a prior file occurred BY DESIGN in Word 2010.  He said he believed it was part of the document recovery function.  He also confirmed that it happened on his computer at Microsoft and it happened as well on the not-yet-released Word 2013 program that he could access.

    He did agree it could be annoying and was perhaps unnecessary and said he would forward the problem to team that designs Word.  I did show him that Open Office (a competitor) does have a recovery function and does not open minimized windows unnecessary.  Also, I provided him the link to this discussion, and he said someone from Microsoft would post an official reply in coming days.

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-05-04T20:11:01+00:00

    This problem (exactly as described) occurs for me under Windows 7.   It is NOT specific to Windows XP.  It is also not specific to older versions of MSWord -- it is still a problem in Word 2013.

    It is now 2013 and I cannot find a posted solution that works for everyone.  It has driven me nuts for as long as I've had this operating system version installed, and I finally decided to try to do something about it today.  Yet, I do NOT yet find any helpful information posted from Microsoft to correct the problem -- quite the contrary:  apparently they view it not as a bug but a feature.  This is a laughable position, to myself, to every user I know, and per every post I've seen online.  NO ONE defends or concurs with that foolish Microsoft position.

    (1) DDE Issue / Fix

    For some people, on some systems, postings elsewhere have found a partial solution, though the 'fix' creates its own problems.  In their case, an MSWord interaction with DDE created the problem, and changing the Registry entry for the MSWord 'OpenShell' command did the trick (see prior posts in this thread, as well as googled).   Sadly, my registry entry is *already* correct so that 'fix' does not work for me.

    (2) Normal.dot Template Issue / Fix

    One person on another posting board, elsewhere, reported that the problem stemmed from a faulty Normal.dot template (though he had not modified it, himself), and that re-installing MSWord from scratch fixed the problem, for him.  Can anyone speak to that proposed solution?

    SHOCKING, isn't it, that a problem so in-your-face and so annoying for so many people has been ignored by Microsoft for so long?  ;)   (Yeah ... just shocking ... who'd have expected THAT from Microsoft?) ;}

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