Turn off Getting Started Task Pane Word 2003

[Rick B.]

This has probably been asked and answered but I can't find it:

How do you turn off the "Getting Started" task pane in Word 2003? It shows
up everytime I start Word 2003 even after I closed it and restart and I
can't find an on/off switch in Tools/Options where I would expect it to be
or in Customize dialog box.

 

[Chris Schatte]

Rick B,
Have a look at this article:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;816949

Chris Schatte

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[Rick B.]

Thanks Chris.

But since the task pane itself is called "getting started" and the setting
in tools/options is called "startup task pane" I'd apparently wrongly
assumed they were different things. Just in case though, I'd already turned
off "startup task pane (unchecked the box) and still see the getting started
task pane every time.

I'm going to try to delete normal.dot and then try unchecking the box again
to see if it works--maybe normal.dot is corrupted.

 

[Rick B.]

Nope. Deleting normal.dot and unchecking "startup task pane" again and
restarting make any difference--the "getting started" task pane is back and
just won't go away.

 

[Chris Schatte]

Rick B,
Try this article:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=838676

Chris Schatte

use the Office Online web based newsreader here:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx
In Office System 2003 applications:
Help/Assistance Pane/open Communities

 

[Rick B.]

Thanks a lot Chris--that did the trick!!

 

[Chris Schatte]

Rick B,
Thanks for posting back your results. Happy to help when possible.

Chris Schatte

use the Office Online web based newsreader here:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx
In Office System 2003 applications:
Help/Assistance Pane/open Communities

 

[ray.causey]

Do you know what they mean when they ask you to Right-click the
DoNotDismissFileNewTaskPane key?

I cannot find anything like that under the
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Common\General
screen.

 

[Mary Sauer]

Tools > Options > View tab, clear "Start-up Task Pane."