Extra Office 2007 Document Window

[On Request]

Often when I open an existing Word 2007 or Excel 2007 document, two document
windows open. One is the desired document. The other is a blank and
untitled window perhaps better termed an 'empty' window with a pale blue
color. None of the elements in the Ribbon are active (grayed out, or dimly
'blued out'). It is like a phantom window alongside the desired window.
Nothing can be typed into the phantom. The phantom can be closed and the
desired document remains. Also, the desired document can be closed and the
phantom remains.

This mainly happens when I am opening by double left clicking on a file from
within a Windows folder. If I open the file by right clicking and 'Open',
I do not get the double document. The behavior is inconsistent; after a few
various Office documents are opened, the behavior ceases and only the
desired window appears.

Behavior is confined to Word and Excel; double clicking on other types of
documents, such as text, Acrobat, or photo files does not give this problem.

I have posted this problem in various Word or Office newsgroups, but no
responses as yet.

Thanks for help.

 

[DL]

Maybe your mouse 'double click' settings are two fast and what you are
actually getting is two double clicks?
But why this should be confined to Word / Excel ???????? - curious

 

[Jeff Richards]

Start Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Del \ Task Manager) and note what applications
are running. Double-click a file and note what changes in the applications
occur. That may give a clue about where the other window is coming from.

 

[On Request]

Jeff Richards -- I did open some Word documents with Task Manager
Applications also open as you suggested. Not sure I learned much, but some
things may be of interest.

When I open a file by right-click + Open, I see one application task in
T.M. that begins with the normal Word 2007 file icon on the left: a small W
with a few tiny lines (within the icon) under the W. Then Filename -
Microsoft Word non-commercial use; then under Status is shown Running. This
is the desired file.

When I open a file by double-clicking with the left mouse, two application
tasks show up in T.M. Neither of these tasks has the normal Word 2007 icon
on the left; instead there is a (slightly) different icon where the W is
slightly canted to the right and has no lines under it. I think this is the
icon for the program itself instead of the icon for the file? The line
that indicates the desired task goes on with Filename - Microsoft Word
non-commercial use; then under Status is shown Running. The line that
indicates the 'phantom' task has that (program?) icon followed with only
Microsoft Word non-commercial use (that is without a Filename); it also
shows its status as Running.

So, to recap, the phantom task does show up in Task Manager along with the
desired file, but has no Filename shown.

Just for interest:

In Task Manager, there are two instances of WINWORD.EXE that are shown in
Processes, when I use the double click method.

Excel openings are similar to Word openings; both the desired and phantom
files show up in Task Manager Applications and two instances of EXCEL.EXE in
Processes.

Any other thoughts appreciated.

John
------------------------------------------

 

[Jeff Richards]

OK. That indicates that WORD is seeing the file as some special type that
requires the second Window. The other possibility was that the second
application to start would be something completely different, which would
indicate a problem with your file association settings. Although that can't
be ruled out, your testing does indicate that it could be an issue with
WORD, so you could try asking in a WORD group. For instance, WORD might be
seeing that the file has a macro, so it opens a window to process that
Macro, but for some reason nothing ever happens. If that's what is going on,
then the WORD people might know why. Same for EXCEL.

You can look at file associations for yourself to see if there may be an
issue there. A list of suitable utilities is here:
http://www.mydigitallife.info/2008/...sociations-advanced-editing-management-tools/

This one appears adequate:
http://frank.neatstep.com/custom/get.php?f=ftm201.zip

FWIW my &Open command for Microsoft Office Word Document is "C:\Program
Files\Microsoft Office 12\WINWORD.EXE" /n /dde