WD2002: How to Ignore User Settings When You Start Word (290957)

MORE INFORMATION

The /a switch allows you to start Word without loading the following components:

• The global template (Normal.dot)
• Any add-in templates in the Word Startup folder or the Office Startup folder
• Any COM add-ins
• Any add-in libraries (.wll files)
• User settings that are stored in the Data key and the Option key in the Windows registry

NOTE: When you start Word with the /a switch, changes that you make in Word that affect any of these components are not written to disk when you quit Word, and the changes are lost.

To start Word with the /a switch, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Run dialog box, click Browse.
3. Locate and click Winword.exe, and then click the Open button. This fills in the Open box in the Run dialog box.
4. In the Open box, place the insertion point after Winword.exe.
   
   NOTE: The path to the Winword.exe file in the Run dialog box is enclosed in quotation marks. Be sure to place the insertion point to the right of the closing quotation mark.
5. Type a space, and then type /a. The statement in the Open box should now resemble the following:

   "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Winword.exe" /a

6. Click OK.