Word 2007 displays two pages next to each other in my documents instead of one.

Then use the macro approach I posted earlier - http://www.gmayor.com/ZoomandView.htm

Doesn't everyone have "wide" screens at this point?  16:9 aspect ratio seems to be the defacto standard for monitors.  The size of the monitor is irrelevant - I have this problem on my laptop, because it has a 16:9 aspect ratio and as was earlier pointed out - a pretty standard "high" resolution.  But still - it's a 15.7" laptop screen.

Changing the view, scale, zoom, or anything else in the ribbon bar will NOT override the defective behavior discussed here - it only changes it for the present document.

The root of my problem is Microsoft's habit of remembering how the 2010 app last opened, the size of the window and if it was maximized.

My Scenario: I open a Word 2010 doc for editing.  I maximize Word to full screen and set page layout view to a comfortable width or zoom for my work. 

I finish my work and close the document and Word.

Next, I open another MS Word document.  Because I opened the last document full screen all subsequent Word documents are opened at full screen.  Word remembers that setting.

Howerver, the documents themselves are auto sized to fit two pages to the screen - because the aspect ratio is wide enough (and resolution high enough) that it can.  Word does not remember the zoom, just the screen size.

Problem: The print is so tiny I cannot easily read the pages in the opened document.  It is practically illegible.   Changing the view or zoom has no affect.  As long as the MS Word is Maximized it will continue this behavior for any document I open or new doc I create.

I have to then close all open MS Word documents but one, resize the open window to not be maximized and then close that window.  Now all subsequent windows opened are at the view and zoom I have selected.

The defect is that MS Word remembers the last open doc screen size, but uses some sort of algorithm or set of assumptions to decide how many pages to place rather than remembering that setting as well, regardless of legibility.  The combination of the two are sometimes not compatible.

A macro-based solution might work fine if one is only sharing documents within a single corporate domain, within which one might safely share macro-enabled documents (and have IT people to explain to users how to enable macros). In environments where documents regularly cross corporate and domain boundaries, however, I've never seen macro-enabled documents shared. Trying to explain to someone the process for enabling macros is a nightmare in itself. When you add the additional burden of creating an autostart normal.dot template, you are clearly out of the realm of "solutions" and into the realm of "workarounds". Call it what you will - bug, defect,poor design, etc. - it's a problem and the proliferation of ever cheaper, wider monitors will only it make it more compelling for Microsoft and its "experts" to focus their efforts on resolving the issue instead of defending it.