The Sisyphus Comments

Stop the Word “Getting Started” Task Pane Pop-Up

I hate how every time I open a document to start Word 2003, the “Getting Started” task pane opens. Unfortunately, there is no simple way to stop it from opening up. However, it can be stopped by making a relatively simple registry change.

First, be sure to back up your registry using the File/Export command and be sure to select the “All” option in the Export Range section.

Now, with the registry safely backed up:

1. Exit Word 2003. If you use Word as your e-mail editor in Outlook, quit Outlook, too.

2. Click the Start button in Windows, then choose Run. (Alternatively, press and hold the Windows key and press R.)

3. In the Run dialog box, type

regedit

and select the OK button.

4. Locate the following registry key in the left-hand column of the registry display (use the Edit/Find command from the main menu):

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Common\General

5. Right-click the DoNotDismissFileNewTaskPane key and choose Delete from the pop-up menu.

6. Click OK to confirm the deletion.

7. Close the registry editor.