WD: How to Open the Last Document Edited When You Start Word

ID: Q97790

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

The bottom of the File menu lists the last files that have been saved or loaded in chronological order (the last file saved or opened appears first). This list of files is commonly referred to as the Most Recently Used (MRU) list.

After you start Word for Windows, if you want to open the last file saved or opened, you can manually click the first file listed on the MRU list on the File menu, or you can have Word automatically open the file when you start Word by either modifying the Word command line or creating an AutoExec macro.

MORE INFORMATION

To automatically open the last document edited when you start Word, use one of the following methods:

Method 1: Use the "/mFile1" Switch on the Command Line

Windows 95

1. With the right mouse button, click the Start button, and then click 

   Explore.
2. In Explorer, expand the Windows folder by clicking the plus (+) sign to 
   the left of the Windows folder. Expand the Start Menu folder, and then
   click the Programs folder.
3. In the Programs folder, right-click the shortcut for Microsoft Word, and 
   then click Properties.
4. In the Properties dialog box, select the Shortcut tab. Add "/mFile1" 
   (without the quotation marks) to the Target line.

   NOTE: There is no space between the /m and File1.

Windows 3.1

1. Select the Word for Windows icon in Windows Program Manager.

2. On the Program Manager File menu, click Properties.

3. Add "/mFile1" (without quotation marks) to the command line. For 

   example, if your Word for Windows directory is on drive C and is called
   Winword, change the command line to the following:

      C:\Winword\Winword.exe /mFile1

   NOTE: There is no space between the /m and File1.
The File1 macro opens the first file in the list of most recently saved documents.

Method 2: Use an AutoExec Macro

Word 6.0/7.0

1. On the Tools menu, click Macro. In the Macros Available In list box, 

   select Normal.dot (Global Template) and in the Macro Name box, type
   "AutoExec" (without the quotation marks). Click the Create button.
2. Below the Sub Main statement, type "File1" (without the quotation 
   marks), as in the following example:

      Sub Main
         File1
      End Sub
3. On the File menu, click Close and, when prompted, choose to save changes 
   to the Global:AutoExec macro.
4. On the File menu, click Save All and, if prompted, choose to save global 
   changes to the Normal.dot template.

Word 2.x

1. On the Tools menu, click Macro. In the Show box, select Global Macros, 

   and in the Macro Name box, type "AutoExec" (without the quotation
   marks). Click Edit.
2. Below the Sub Main statement, type "File1" (without the quotation 
   marks), as in the following example:

      Sub Main
         File1
      End Sub
3. On the File menu, click Close and, when prompted, choose to save changes 
   to the Global:AutoExec macro.
4. On the File menu, click Save All and, when prompted, choose to save 
   global glossary and command changes.

Word 1.x

1. On the Macro menu, click Edit. In the context box, select Global. In the 

   Edit Macro Name box, type "AutoExec" (without quotation marks). Click
   OK.
2. On the blank line after Sub Main, type "File1" (without quotation 
   marks).
3. On the File menu, click Close and, when prompted, choose to save changes 
   to the Global:AutoExec macro.
4. On the File menu, click Save All and, when prompted, choose to save 
   global glossary and command changes.

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Word for Windows Getting Started," version 2.0, page 14.

"Microsoft Word for Windows User's Reference," version 1.x, page 337.

Additional query words: switch start-up parameters arguments startup 

Keywords          : kbmacro wordnt word8 macword98 winword word6 winword2 word7 word95 word 
Version           : 1.x 2.x 6.0 6.0a 6.0c 7.0 7.0a
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbhowto

Last Reviewed: December 23, 1998