WD2002: New Document Task Pane Appears and Then Disappears When You Start Word (295341)

SYMPTOMS

When you start Microsoft Word, the New Document task pane (or the area where the task pane should be) appears briefly and then disappears.

NOTE: This problem occurs even if the Show at startup check box is selected. To find the Show at startup check box, click Options on the Tools menu. The Show at startup check box is located on the View tab.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs when a file is stored in one of the Word Startup folders. When Word starts, Word may display the New Document task pane. However, when Word finds the file in either of the Word Startup folders, Word opens the file and immediately closes the New Document task pane. This functionality is by design in Microsoft Word 2002.

RESOLUTION

To prevent this behavior, delete any files that are located in the Word Startup folders. By default, Microsoft Word uses the following folder for its Startup files:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\Startup

NOTE: This location may be different on your computer, depending on where you installed Microsoft Word.

In addition, Word uses a Startup folder as specified on the File Locations tab in the Options dialog box. To determine the location of the second Word Startup folder, follow these steps:

Start Microsoft Word.
On the Tools menu, click Options.
On the File Locations tab, select Startup (in the File types list), and then click Modify.
Click the arrow in the Look in box to view the path to the Word Startup folder.

MORE INFORMATION

Task panes in Microsoft Office XP (Microsoft Word 2002) are modeless, docked dialog boxes that are set to the right side of an Office XP program. Task panes provide a common area for those commands that require more information or options than a simple toolbar provides. The New Document task pane is also referred to as the Startup task pane. This is the default task pane for every Microsoft Office XP program. After you open a program, the New Document task pane occupies the right side of the program window.

To prevent the New Document task pane from appearing when you start Microsoft Word, follow these steps:

On the Tools menu, click Options.
On the View tab, clear the Startup Task Pane check box.
Click OK to close the Options dialog box.