# An msWORD Qustion **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 28, 2018, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-msword-qustion/814956 "2018-05-28T09:57:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Steven\_Estes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Steven\_Estes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steven_Estes)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-msword-qustion/814956/1 "2018-05-28T09:57:58Z")
I use msWord 13. I always keep a document (“Schedule”) on my task bar. Whenever I open a different document from a folder, “Scheduel”,as well as the different document, comes to the screen and has to be minimized. ``` Not a big deal, but annoying the thousandth time. Is there any way to keep "Schedule" from coming to the screen when I open a different document from a folder? ``` Thank you ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-msword-qustion/814956/2 "2018-05-28T10:13:37Z")
I’m thinking GQ. Off we go. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-msword-qustion/814956/3 "2018-05-28T12:13:13Z")
I can find articles discussing this behaviour on Office for Mac, but you mentioned ‘task bar’, which implies you are using Windows. When you open Word from the Start Menu (as opposed to opening a document), does it still open your schedule document, or does it go to a blank document? I’m wondering if the Word application shortcut on your machine includes the file path of your schedule document as well ---
**Author:** ![Steven\_Estes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Steven\_Estes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steven_Estes)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-msword-qustion/814956/4 "2018-05-28T14:55:01Z")
To tell the truth, I never use the Start (Classic) list. Except for the problem I mentioned, I prefer the task bar because it’'s just there; you don’t have to click it open. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-msword-qustion/814956/5 "2018-05-28T16:38:31Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I can find articles discussing this behaviour on Office for Mac, but you mentioned ‘task bar’, which implies you are using Windows. > > When you open Word from the Start Menu (as opposed to opening a document), does it still open your schedule document, or does it go to a blank document? > > I’m wondering if the Word application shortcut on your machine includes the file path of your schedule document as well In Windows, if you have multiple Word documents open, and any of them are minimized, then if you open a new Word document, Word “helpfully” restores all open Word documents. This is something about Word that has annoyed the piss out of me for years. I often have multiple files open, with some of them minimized to keep them out of the way until I need them. But open a new one, and they all come screaming back, so I have to minimize them again. It’s like playing whack-a-mole. Other programs don’t do this, why Office? My typical way of opening Word is to double click on a file, even if it means right-clicking on the desktop and creating a new Word file. I’m not sure if this happens by opening Word some other way. I’m at home on my Linux box right now, so I can’t test it. From time to time, I search for a solution to this, but I’ve never found anything. I think it’s just another case of Microsoft thinking that being [del]helpful[/del] annoying is the best way to go. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-msword-qustion/814956/6 "2018-05-28T17:32:16Z")
> [@Steven\_Estes](#): > > I use msWord 13. > > I always keep a document (“Schedule”) on my task bar. > Whenever I open a different document from a folder, “Scheduel”,as well as the different document, comes to the screen and has to be minimized. > > ``` > Not a big deal, but annoying the thousandth time. > Is there any way to keep "Schedule" from coming to the screen when I open a different document from a folder? > > ``` > > Thank you “Don’t keep Schedule on your task bar” is the only real solution. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-msword-qustion/814956/7 "2018-05-28T17:51:30Z")
You could keep yhe ‘Schedule’ document open in Libre (Open Office) rather than MS Word. Then Word won’t reopen it for you every time. > [@Steven\_Estes](#): > > Except for the problem I mentioned, I prefer the task bar because it’'s just there; you don’t have to click it open. Do you realize that keeping all these applications open on the task bar is slowing your computer down? ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2018, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-msword-qustion/814956/8 "2018-05-29T21:56:49Z")
> [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](#): > > You could keep yhe ‘Schedule’ document open in Libre (Open Office) rather than MS Word. Then Word won’t reopen it for you every time. > Do you realize that keeping all these applications open on the task bar is slowing your computer down? How do you figure? If they’re in the taskbar because they’re currently running, then that could potentially slow your computer down perhaps. Although I’d highly highly doubt it would if you’re using modern Windows memory management (Vista or up) and your computer isn’t an antique with 2 GB of RAM. Especially something like Word, which does literally nothing until the user interacts with it. If they’re in the taskbar because they’re pinned, then that consumes no more resources than it takes to draw the icon. * * * From the conversation so far, I’m guessing that the “problem” is the one GESancMan mentions, that the OP is keeping it in the taskbar by the method of just minimizing it all the time, and Word is “helpfully” restoring it when you open a new document. I agree this behavior is at best annoying and at worst a blatant bug in Word.