windows 11, stop opening multiple docs simultaneously

Question

Whenever I open a new Word document (or a Notepad doc), an already minimized open document also maximizes. How do I stop this? Or, when I open a new Notepad document, another Notepad doc opens with it? I would like to open/maximize my documents one at a time.

[Moved from Windows for home | Windows 11 | Settings]

Answer 1

As far as I know, this behavior cannot be controlled from within your Office applications.

You can send feedback to Microsoft using the Feedback Hub; see https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/send-feedback-to-microsoft-with-the-feedback-hub-app-f59187f8-8739-22d6-ba93-f66612949332 .

Answer 2

The step I found that works (must be done individually on each MSO Application):

FILE > OPTIONS > ADVANCED > SCROLL DOWN TO "DISPLAY SECTION"

LOOK FOR "QUICKLY ACCESS THIS NUMBER OF RECENT WORKBOOKS (ETC):". THIS WILL NOT ACCEPT "0" SO "1" IS THE OPTION THAT WILL WORK. THIS SHOULD AUTOMATICALLY SAVE, OR IF APPLICABLE, CLICK "SAVE".

YOU WILL NOW ONLY BE WORKING WITH 1 EXCEL WORKBOOK / WORD DOC / ETC. WHEN CLOSING OR OPENING A NEW APPLICATION ONLY THAT SINGLE MSO APP WILL BE VIEWED ON THE DESKTOP. AGAIN- THIS MUST BE INDIVIDUALLY FOR ALL MSO APPLICATIONS.

Answer 3

The behavior you're experiencing, where opening a new document causes already minimized documents to maximize, can be related to how Windows manages application windows. Unfortunately, there isn't a specific setting in Windows 11 or Microsoft Office that directly controls this behavior for Word or Notepad. However, you can try the following general troubleshooting steps:

1. Check Taskbar Settings: Right-click on the taskbar, go to Taskbar settings, and ensure that settings related to window management are configured to your preference.
2. Update Windows and Applications: Make sure that your Windows 11 and Microsoft Office applications are fully updated, as updates can sometimes resolve unexpected behaviors.
3. Use Alt + Tab: Instead of clicking on the application icons to open documents, you can use the Alt + Tab shortcut to switch between open applications without maximizing them.
4. Open Documents in New Windows: For applications like Notepad, you can open new instances by right-clicking the Notepad icon in the taskbar and selecting "Notepad" again to open a new window.
5. Check for Third-party Software: Sometimes, third-party software that manages windows or desktop environments can interfere with how applications behave. Consider disabling or uninstalling such software to see if it resolves the issue.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, it may be a limitation of how Windows handles multiple instances of applications, and you may need to adapt your workflow accordingly.