WD2000: Word Startup (Command-Line) Switches and Their Purpose

ID: Q210565

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

This article describes the command-line switches that can be used to start Word and their purpose. Some of these switches are also described in Word Help, and others are not.


MORE INFORMATION

For more information about Word startup switches, click Microsoft Word Help on the Help menu, type "How do you control what happens when Word starts?" in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.


To use a command-line switch to start Word, do the following steps:

  1. On the Windows Start menu, click Run.


  2. Click Browse.


  3. Go to the Office folder, select Winword.exe, and then click Open. The Winword.exe file is located in the following folder by default:

    C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office

    NOTE: The path to Winword.exe is enclosed within quotation marks.


  4. Click into the Open box, and reposition the insertion point outside of (to the right of) the closing quotation mark at the end of the path statement.


  5. Type in a space followed by the switch you want to use.

    For example, if you want to start Word and prevent the loading of add-ins and global templates, use the following in the Open box:

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

    NOTE: If you put the switch inside the closing quotation mark and then click OK, the following error message appears:


    6. Cannot find the file 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Winword.exe /a' (or one of its components). Make sure the path and filename are correct and that all required libraries are available.
The following Word startup (command-line) switches are listed in Word Help.

Type

To do this

/a

Starts Word and prevents add-ins and global templates (including the Normal template) from being loaded automatically.

The /a switch also locks the setting files; that is, the setting files cannot be read or modified if you use this switch.

/laddinpath

Starts Word and then loads a specific Word add-in.

/m

Starts Word without running any AutoExec macros.

/mmacroname

Starts Word and then runs a specific macro. The /m switch also prevents Word from running any AutoExec macros.

/n

Starts a new instance of Word with no document open. Documents opened in each instance of Word will not appear as choices in the Window menu of other instances.

/ttemplatename

Starts Word with a new document based on a template other than the Normal template.

/w

Starts a new instance of Word with a blank document. Documents opened in each instance of Word will not appear as choices in the Window menu of the other instances.

(no switch)

A new Word window is opened with a blank document using the existing instance of the Word application.


The following Word startup (command-line) switches are not listed in Word Help.

Type

To do this

/c

Starts a new instance of Word and then invokes NetMeeting.

/r

Starts Word in the background, makes changes in the Windows registry, and then quits. This switch forces a re-register of Word in the Windows registry.

/u

This switch has no effect and will not start Word.

/x

Starts a new instance of Word from the operating shell (for example, to print in Word). This instance of Word responds to only one DDE request and ignores all other DDE requests and multi-instances. If starting a new instance of Word within the operating environment (for example, within Windows), it is recommended that you use the /w switch, which starts a fully functioning instance.

(any other switch)

Starts a new instance of Word. For example, if you start Word with just the / and no switch, or with any unlisted switch combination, Word doesn't understand what you want and just starts a new instance of Word with a new blank document.

Additional query words: start-up commandline 


Keywords          : kbdta wd2000 
Version           : WINDOWS:2000
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbinfo

Last Reviewed: May 13, 1999