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
    2013-08-03T03:56:47+00:00

    Hi, This problem was driving me insane. I managed to fix it on my Windows 7 Pro desktop with Office 2013.

     

    My registry had these settings under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Word.Document.12\shell\Open\command:

     

    Default: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15\WINWORD.EXE" /n "%1" /o "%u"

    Command: yh1BV5!!!!!!!!!MKKSkWORDFiles>!2-1&m&8y@Nmo2r)^f-C /n "%1" /o "%u"

     

    I changed them to this (removing the, "/o "%u"" and adding "/q" before "/n" to remove the splash screen :

     

    Default: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15\WINWORD.EXE" /q /n "%1"

    Command: yh1BV5!!!!!!!!!MKKSkWORDFiles>!2-1&m&8y@Nmo2r)^f-C /q /n "%1"

     

    I did the same for HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Word.Document.8\shell\Open\command, and am now able to open other files without restoring or maxmizing other minimized Word .doc or .docx files. Please let me know if this works for you as well.

     

    Regards,

    Keith

     

    Keith, I tried this on my Word 2007 running on Windows XP Pro SP3 and unfortunately, it didn't make any difference.  I didn't have quite the same registry entries that you indicate above but instead had Winword.exe parameters of "/n /dde" only.  I tried adding a "/q" before the "/n" and it didn't make a difference.

    (Windows 7 Pro and Word 2007)

     

    I, too, had this same issue Steve.  The solution is as follows:

     

    As has been said, use the regedit to navigate to the:

     

    HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Word.Document.12\shell\Open\command

     

    Set the start up switches in the Default value to:    /q /n "%1"  instead of:   /n /dde   (by double clicking and editing)

     

    Set the start up switches in the Command value to:    /q /n "%1"  instead of:   /n /dde   (by double clicking and editing)

     

    Then change the ddeexec key to ddeexec.disabled  (right click and choose rename)

     

    For those that need the info, the key is on the left hand side and the value name and value are on the right hand side of the regedit box - see diagram below from this link courtesy of Rafael Rivera:  http://withinwindows.com/within-windows/2008/09/03/taming-microsoft-word-2007s-file-associations-and-document-windows-part-two

     

     

     

    Keep in mind that Raphael's solution did not work for many of us, myself included. 

     

    Now, do the exact same thing for the:

     

    HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Word.Document.8\shell\Open\command

     

     

     

     

    I will check the solution for Vista and Word 2003 and post the results later this evening...

     

    Please let me know if it works...

    FakePerson, thanks for the details.  My concern in doing this is turning off DDE.  From what I can determine, that can cause serious side-effects, unless I've been misinformed.  For example, I believe DDE is used for copy, cut, and paste operations in Windows, right?  Can anyone confirm if turning off DDE as suggested causes other problems?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_Data_Exchange

    Thanks.

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-06-03T20:01:30+00:00

    Keith:

    This worked for me on Office 2010 on Windows 7 Pro.  Thanks for finally solving this!  I'll be trying it on Office 2013 on Windows 8 Pro when I get home tonight.

    It's a shame that after all of these years Microsoft wasn't able to find such an easy resolution!

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-04-10T01:42:14+00:00

    U sure got THAT rite!!

    I too found this VERY annoying, so I googled this question today & found this thread, & just spent an hour reading 3 YEARS WORTH of posts (90 - count 'em)  w/ NO SOLUTION!! WOW!!

    I wonder if ever in the history of the world, there has been a company as deeply & widely HATED as Microsoft!  Can't WAIT till google eats them for lunch!

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