Multiple instances of Word 2016 opening on startup

Anonymous
2017-11-27T00:15:35+00:00

I currently run Windows 10 Home 64-bit, version 1709, OS build 16299.64.

Whenever I boot into Windows, Microsoft Word 2016 opens up 4 blank documents. I checked under the startup folder and Word is not there.

I have not tried uninstalling Word but I am trying to figure out what is making Word open up 4 blank documents.

Thank you in advance for the help.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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Answer accepted by question author
Vijay A. Verma 104.9K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2017-11-27T02:16:25+00:00

The issue is caused by last Windows update which corrupted the current user profile.

The solution is to login through another Windows user profile.

Microsoft is in the process of getting this issue fixed. Though no timeline is committed but this should get fixed in next Windows update which will flow in.

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Anonymous
2018-04-21T12:01:29+00:00

This problem was resolved within a few weeks after the Fall Creators update was released.  If you have all of the updates after that fall release, you should not be experiencing the problem any more.  If your issue is similar and not the same, but you have all the updates, I suggest that you start a new thread for a new problem.  The original workaround for this problem was to use task manager to kill the background Word processes before rebooting.

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  1. Anonymous
    2017-12-02T14:37:33+00:00

    Here is what my research has found:

    1. Windows 10 places MS Word into the Task Manager Apps list once you start WORD.
    2. Windows 10 moves Word from Apps list to Background Processes when you exit word.
    3. Windows 10 fails to remove the Word Background tasks when you reboot, so the tasks are restarted when you restart.
    4. Each time you start and exit Word it adds another Word Background task in Task Manager.
    5. You can kill the Word Background tasks in Task Manager for a temporary fix.
    6. When you use Word, it will start the process all over again.

    This is a Windows 10 problem and not a Word problem.  It is up to Microsoft to fix this.

    Thanks for the great information !!!

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-12-02T13:21:39+00:00

    Here is what my research has found:

    1. Windows 10 places MS Word into the Task Manager Apps list once you start WORD.
    2. Windows 10 moves Word from Apps list to Background Processes when you exit word.
    3. Windows 10 fails to remove the Word Background tasks when you reboot, so the tasks are restarted when you restart.
    4. Each time you start and exit Word it adds another Word Background task in Task Manager.
    5. You can kill the Word Background tasks in Task Manager for a temporary fix.
    6. When you use Word, it will start the process all over again.

    This is a Windows 10 problem and not a Word problem.  It is up to Microsoft to fix this.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-12-01T01:20:06+00:00

    Thanks, I will try that.  I stopped the 17 copies of Word starting by going to Task Manager Background tasks where I found 17 copies of Word running as background tasks which I killed.  I rebooted and only 1 copy of Word started so I'll try logging on with another account.

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