Microsoft word keeps starting

[R W Curry]

About two weeks ago (pretty much after a major Windows 10 update, I found that, every time my computer starts up, Microsoft Word opens. Not just once but multiple simultaneous openings - worst case was 8. I have checked the list of start-up programs in Task Manager. Word is not included. Can anyone suggest why this happens, and what I can do to stop it.

Thank you

 

[Regedit32]

Hi R W Curry,

The Fall update introduced a new feature for Windows 10.

All editions of Windows 10 that pre-date the Fall update, would close all open apps when the user shut down or chose to restart their computer.

In the Fall update, Microsoft changed this so that any apps that were open or are regularly used by a User will automatically open on the restart of a computer.

To avoid this, you can either manually ensure you have closed all instances of Word via Task Manager, before you shutdown or restart computer.

Alternately, you can press your Windows key + M to minimize all open windows, then click once on your Desktop to give it focus and now press Alt + F4 together to open the pre-Fall update shutdown dialog:

The pre-Fall Update shutdown dialog will close all open apps if you shutdown or restart computer.

 

[Tim Locke]

Interesting. I always turn off all applications before shutdown. Never seen Office come up on startup but sometimes Chrome does with the last sites I accessed . Annoying.

 

[Regedit32]

sometimes Chrome does with the last sites I accessed . Annoying.

I agree it is a stupid feature in my opinion, but I guess some will love it.

I gave the feature a thumbs down in the insider reviews

 

[R W Curry]

Hi R W Curry,

The Fall update introduced a new feature for Windows 10.

All editions of Windows 10 that pre-date the Fall update, would close all open apps when the user shut down or chose to restart their computer.

In the Fall update, Microsoft changed this so that any apps that were open or are regularly used by a User will automatically open on the restart of a computer.

To avoid this, you can either manually ensure you have closed all instances of Word via Task Manager, before you shutdown or restart computer.

Alternately, you can press your Windows key + M to minimize all open windows, then click once on your Desktop to give it focus and now press Alt + F4 together to open the pre-Fall update shutdown dialog:

View attachment 7619

The pre-Fall Update shutdown dialog will close all open apps if you shutdown or restart computer.

 

[R W Curry]

Gentlemen

Thank you for your replies. Like Tim Locke, I always shutdown all applications before shutting down the computer but it has not seemed to prevent the problem. If Microsoft have built this feature of opening common applications into Windows, fair enough. However that leaves two things I do not understand
1. I use Outlook and Excel far more often than Word, but neither of these open when I start the computer
2. Why does more than one instance of Word open. It tends to be multiple instances. The number varies from day to day and, as I said, I have had 8 instances some days

 

[Norton]

I'm certainly no expert with Office, but, you could try this, nothing to loose.
Navigate to word program, hold down shift key and click on word (holding shift key down) to open. If multiple docuuments Open; Click on File > Exit to close.
In addition:
I searched Google and found this article, it may help.
Q How do I start Word each time PC starts
As the OP wants word to start everytime the PC starts, doing the reverse you should e able to delete Word from your \Users\Your Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup Folder?
Good Luck!

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...-startup/de0c6d2f-1981-4df5-a569-51f7e30c3b89

 

[Regedit32]

I use Outlook and Excel far more often than Word, but neither of these open when I start the computer
2. Why does more than one instance of Word open. It tends to be multiple instances. The number varies from day to day and, as I said, I have had 8 instances some days

#1 It's not that the app opens and steals focus, but rather is in the old days with Office, certain files preloaded, to speed up the time the full app opened when you chose to use it.

The only apps that will open and take focus are ones you left open when you shut down or restarted pc.

#2 Given you are presumably not shutting down with 8 instances of Word, there may be a completely separate issue going on. I cannot think of any specific task [ that could be inside the Task Scheduler window ] that would require 8 instances to open.

What you could try is to go to the APPs in Windows Settings, and select Office or Word [ if listed separate ] to see whether you can attempt either a Repair or reset of the app.

 

[Norton]

I too believe the OP has open documents.
I just checked my MS Office "Recent" file folder, it does contain recent office docs. You could try opening your "Recent" File folder in Office and closing "All" Word documents. To locate the folder, type the word "Recent" in the Windows Search field.

 

[jorgecalder]

PROBLEM SOLVED. HERE IS THE SOLUTION. I had MS Word, MS Excel and Google Chrome startup automatically every time I booted my machine.

What worked for me was to delete all the string entries under the following location on RegEdit:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
I had many String entries like

Value Name: Application Restart #2
Value Data: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office12\WINWORD.EXE /restore

Application Restart #3
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office12\EXCEL.EXE /restore

so just check these locations and delete everything suspicious under

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

 

[Swizzle757]

PROBLEM SOLVED. HERE IS THE SOLUTION. I had MS Word, MS Excel and Google Chrome startup automatically every time I booted my machine.

What worked for me was to delete all the string entries under the following location on RegEdit:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
I had many String entries like

Value Name: Application Restart #2
Value Data: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office12\WINWORD.EXE /restore

Application Restart #3
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office12\EXCEL.EXE /restore

so just check these locations and delete everything suspicious under

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

I check all those places ... and I still have the problem. Today's reboot started Word. Like others, I rarely use Word so there is no "valid" reason for it to start up.