Why can't I close all docs in Word07 while leaving the program ope

[jreish]

Hi all, in previous versions of Word, one could close a Word document while
leaving the program open (an "x" box in the upper right for the document,
separate from the one for the program). In Word07 there is no such "x" box.
Yes, I can go to the Office button and then click "Close", but that's a pain
-- extra navigating and clicks. In Excel and PowerPoint you can still click
an "x" to close the only file open while leaving the program open, and in
previous versions of Word you could as well. Why this change to only one
program in a suite?

Thanks.

 

[Graham Mayor]

Educate yourself to use CTRL+F4 instead.

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

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[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Or add the Close button to the QAT.

 

[Jay Freedman]

In addition to Ctrl+F4 (as has been discussed in this newsgroup umpteen
times) you may:

- Use Ctrl+W (a bit less of a stretch for the fingers), or use the keyboard
customization dialog to assign a shortcut to the Close command that you find
easier to remember.
- Use Alt+F,C (carried over from previous versions).
- Go to Office button > Word Options > Advanced > Display and uncheck the
option "Show all windows in the Taskbar", which will add the separate "x"
for each document; but then you'll have to use View > Switch Windows or the
shortcut Ctrl+F6 to go from one document to another when more than one is
open.
- Right-click the Close command on the Office button menu and choose to add
it to the Quick Access Toolbar.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Beth Melton]

Actually only Excel has the 'Close Document' button. In Word and PPT there
is a single Close (X) button in the upper right corner. If you have more
than one file open close button will close only the active file. But if you
only have a single file open then the close button will exit the
application.

If you honestly want to know the reason for this, it's due to the type of
interface the application uses. (If you don't want to know then skip to the
next paragraph. ;-) ) Excel uses what is called a Multiple Document
Interface (MDI) and the others use a Single Document Interface (SDI). When
you have more than one file open when using MDI each file shares the same
tools (Ribbon). When using SDI each open file has their own set of tools
(Ribbon). An easy way to see how this works is to create or open two
workbooks in Excel and two files in Word. Make sure the files and
applications are maximized. In Excel if you restore one of the open files
both workbooks they will both display in a restored window, both sharing the
Ribbon. However if you do the same in Word only the active window is
restored and each document has its own Ribbon.

You can change the behavior of Word and PPT so they work similar to Excel by
turning of the "Show All Windows in the Taskbar" option in the Application
Options (Advanced Options section) for each program. BUT only a single task
will display in the Windows taskbar for each application as opposed to
displaying a task for each open file.

If the above solution doesn't fit your needs then you can add the Close
command you see when you click the Office Button to the QAT and train
yourself to use it instead of the X. (It can be done - I did it. ). To
quickly add Close button, right-click the command and then click "Add to
Quick Access Toolbar". To rearrange the buttons on your QAT, right-click the
QAT and then click "Customize..."

I also added Close to the QAT in Excel and use it instead of the X. That way
the same button is used in all of the applications and "training" yourself
is easier.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Melton
What is a Microsoft MVP? http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/gp/mvpfaqs

Guides for the Office 2007 Interface:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/HA102295841033.aspx

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I also added Close to the QAT in Excel and use it instead of the X. That

way the same button is used in all of the applications and "training"
yourself is easier.

No training needed here, as I've been using a Close button rather than the X
for many, many versions now (from back when Word didn't even have an icon
for the button and I had to "borrow" it from Excel IIRC).

 

[Beth Melton]

No training needed here, as I've been using a Close button rather than the
X for many, many versions now (from back when Word didn't even have an
icon for the button and I had to "borrow" it from Excel IIRC).

Back then I always double-clicked the button on the left side, the image of
the hyphen below the image of the spacebar which closed the application, to
close the document window. Then I trained myself to use the X on the right
side of the screen. I think I should have added the Close button and stuck
with the left side of the screen. <g>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Melton
What is a Microsoft MVP? http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/gp/mvpfaqs

Guides for the Office 2007 Interface:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/HA102295841033.aspx

 

[jreish]

Graham, Suzanne, and Jay, thanks very much! All good info.

 

[jreish]

Thanks Beth, great info. I knew there would be a reason for this, and while
I'm not the techie I could still follow the gist of what you were saying.
Still begs the question as to why Microsoft did it this way in the first
place.

I added Close to the QAT and re-arranged, now let's see if this ol' dog can
learn a new trick...

 

[Beth Melton]

You're welcome.

As a programmer I do understand they "why" behind the different interfaces
(MDI and SDI) but I think what really begs the question is Word 2003 uses
SDI (which was added in Word 2000) and it has the Close Document button.
They should have been able to do the same in Word 2007. And, as a
programmer, I see no "justifiable" rational for why they couldn't....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Melton
What is a Microsoft MVP? http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/gp/mvpfaqs

Guides for the Office 2007 Interface:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/HA102295841033.aspx

 

[Peter A]

As a programmer I do understand they "why" behind the different interfaces
(MDI and SDI) but I think what really begs the question is Word 2003 uses
SDI (which was added in Word 2000) and it has the Close Document button.
They should have been able to do the same in Word 2007. And, as a
programmer, I see no "justifiable" rational for why they couldn't....

Since when does Microsoft need to justify anything <g>?

 

[Beth Melton]

Since when does Microsoft need to justify anything <g>?

<g>

~Beth Melton

 

[Kelley]

I have a user that wants to add the Close button to the QAT however, when we
tried doing that, the button is grayed out, or disabled. I did show her all
the other ways to close a document, but have you heard of this? Thanks.

 

[Kelley]

Sorry - it's the "Close Window" button that I was referring to.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Try using just the Close button (in the Popular commands) instead of Close
Window.

 

[Kelley]

Yes, that works just fine. I was just wondering why have the icon to be
added to the QAT if it doesn't work to begin with. That's all. Thanks!