eliminate "Getting Started" pane on Word 2003 startup

[The Kat]

I have been trying to change the default startups for Word and Excel. Both
programs were opening with the "Getting Started" pane/pain NOT THE TASK PANE.
I was told to run WordTaskPaneController.exe, but that addresses the problem
with the task pane only; it made no difference in the annoying obstruction on
Word. I managed to correct Excel by reinstalling the program -- seems
extreme, but it worked. Neither the .exe program nor the reinstall had any
effect on Word.

NOTES: I have changed tools/options, reinstalled the program, tried to
change the global defaults for Office 2003, and run the
WordTaskPaneController.exe

HOW DO I GET RID OF THAT PANE?

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Kat,

The 'Getting Started' Panel is one of 14 panels
that make up the Word Task Pane and is the 'Startup' panel
for the Word Task Pane.

It's not clear which TaskPane panel you are looking
for when you open the TaskPane with Ctrl+F1.

If you're in a corporate environment, or do not have
Admin rights then changes you make may not 'stick'
when you next start Word, otherwise, turning off
the setting in Tools=>Options=>General for the Startup
Taskpane should keep it from reappearing in Word on
startup unless there is an add-in that is calling it.

If you turn off that setting then close Word, then hold
down the ctrl key while restarting Word (Office Safe Mode)
do you still get one of the Task Pane panels?


=======
I have been trying to change the default startups for Word and Excel. Both
programs were opening with the "Getting Started" pane/pain NOT THE TASK PANE.
I was told to run WordTaskPaneController.exe, but that addresses the problem
with the task pane only; it made no difference in the annoying obstruction on
Word. I managed to correct Excel by reinstalling the program -- seems
extreme, but it worked. Neither the .exe program nor the reinstall had any
effect on Word.

NOTES: I have changed tools/options, reinstalled the program, tried to
change the global defaults for Office 2003, and run the
WordTaskPaneController.exe

HOW DO I GET RID OF THAT PANE?>>

 

[The Kat]

Jon -

"Thoughts?"
Yes. Printable? No.

Friend is running same Office 2003 on her system but has NO task pains and -
worse yet - her email works from Word. We have the SAME computers from the
same source. Only difference is the physical MSN disk. (both are from Best
Buy though).

Go fig.

Does any one have a fix for these "pains"?

 

[Bob I]

Did she fail to install "templates"? Try CTRL+N for a "new document"
sans "taskpane"

 

[The Kat]

Getting a new document is no problem. The issue is in geting the task pane no
to activate when the program start.

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Jon,

The present design of MS Office 2003 apps include
the use of the Task Pane (which you can resize and reposition
and undock it) for a number of tasks from formatting, to research
to accessing online help and working with the multiple-item Office clipboard
and MS clipart.

For opening a document in Word or creating a new document
you can use Tools=>Customize to modify or add to to the File menu
and the toolbars or keyboard shortcuts to use commands that
take you directly to the File=>Open dialog or to the older
New Document menu (the New/Open Office start menu shortcuts
are optional install items), and you can call clip organizer
directly and the older Format=>Styles dialog, but some of the
newer features reside pretty much only within the taskpane
as their 'dialog box'.

You can use an older version of Office if you don't plan to
use the new features that rely on the taskpane in Office 2003.

===========
I'm in a similar boat with the task "pain". In any event, as the system
administrator, I should be able to eliminate the loss of real estate
accompanied by this "helper".

I can turn off the task pane from appearing upon starting the application.
Unfortunately, as soon as I want to open a document (excel or word) or create
a new document, I have to deal with the task pane.

Isn't there a way to just simply use File -> Open or File -> New as we had
in the past?

I've tried the TaskPaneController.exe and the registry hacks. Those only
turn off the task pane at startup. I guess to put it bluntly, I don't ever
want to see the task pane.

Thoughts?

Thanks,

Jon >>
--
Let us know if this helped you,

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

Office 2003 Editions explained
http://www.microsoft.com/uk/office/editions.mspx

 

[Bob I]

Humm, the Tools, Options, View, and Unchecking "Startup Task Pane" does
what you are asking. Have you tried that?

 

[Jon]

Bob,

Thanks for the response. I'm pretty familiar with how to use Office and
unfortunately, I can't go back to 2000 for my work; we receive files in 2003
format quite often now and I've tried to go the route of using the converters
.... just doesn't work.

Anyway, what I was hopiing to do is one thing; turn off the task pane
completely. I don't like to lose real-estate for my applications with
toolbars (be they docked or undocked). I realize I can customize this item
and add all sorts of things to it ... I'm not interested in that aspect of
things. I'd just like to have File->New do the same thing as CTRL+New. I
guess I figured there would be a toggle for that, but the only option appears
to turn off the task pane at startup, not to keep it from displaying.

 

[The Kat]

Jon & Bob,
I agree with Jon: all I want is to customize the program to do what I want
it to do, not what MS WANTS me to do. Gimme a break and answer the question:
How can that "pain" be turned off? MS may have some might dream for
integration in the 2003 system -- that's fine. I WANT THE PANE TURNED OFF.
Why is that (a) so difficult to accomplish and (b) so hard for someone else
to understand? Isn't Office 2003 supposed to be customized to fit the user?

 

[Bob I]

Humm, the Tools, Options, View, and Unchecking "Startup Task Pane" does
what you are asking. Have you tried that?

The Kat wrote:

Getting a new document is no problem. The issue is in geting the task
pane no to activate when the program start.

 

[Bob I]

Threads are crossed now. I answered "Kat". But in answer to you for
"File, New", just change it. Go to Tools, Customize, Commands,
l-click/drag the "second" New in the right pane up to the "File" on the
Main menu, and when it opens Drop the "new New" on the drop down. Now
r-click on the "old New" and delete. Enjoy.