Why does it start a new copy of WORD each time?

[John Wright]

Since I made a few changes to my PC recently, each time when I doubleclick
on a .doc file in Windows Explorer it starts a new copy of WORD - instead of
reading the file within the existing WORD window as it used to do before.

Any help would be most appreciated. I don't want a new copy of Word running
each time I click on a file.

I am running XP Home. And Word '97 (mainly because it is much faster than
later versions).

Regards - John

 

[Robin Graham]

AKAIK it just does this. I'm surprised that you are inferring that it didn't
before. My Word 2000 has always done this and when I asked the same question
I was told that's how it is.

Rob Graham

 

[John Wright]

My Word 2000 has always done this ...

Yes, I believe versions 2000 onwards open a new instance each time you click
on a file in explorer - but the older versions didn't. I run '97.

I suspect that I installed a 2002 version, it is still sitting there on the
PC but I don't use it; that may have somehow clobbered my '97 - somewhere
there may be a shared file or registery entry ...

Regards - JW