You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

stop office opening previous file

Hi,


I am using MS Office 2010 and I had just upgraded my OS from Snow Leopard to Lion. After the upgrade, I had observed that each time I open my MS Word/Excel, it keeps opening those previous file that I had opened before.


How can i stop this? I hope to revert to the old times where each time i open Word/Excel, it would be a new document and NOT it automatically open those previous files.


Pls advise.

Thank-You


Roy

Mac OS X (10.7)

Posted on Jul 22, 2011 8:23 PM

Reply
39 replies

Jan 1, 2017 6:08 AM in response to hankscott

I could not agree more.

Unfortunately this happens quite frequently. People offer solutions that are not solutions at all, and at times what is offered as a solution does not have anything to do with the problem.😟😢

And there is also a lot of repetition on many of these topics. Really people do not need to reiterate what has already been stated just to show off that you too have a suggestion to make...😕

Aug 4, 2011 11:05 PM in response to kurtgonska

Yes, like what kurt said... this is annoying. Firefox, for example, will save your last windowed views, if you want - it shouldn't be system wide. For example, working on a document and need to run out, just shut down the machine, then when I restart it opens ALL the previous windows, and sometimes they're on other servers in the house so that takes FOREVER because the server has to mount etc., then they all open, then I get to make a new document. Not cool, or useful.

Dec 4, 2011 11:31 AM in response to MarkDouma®

Darg! This didn't work.


I don't know what happened, but it's like something went wrong with my machnine a couple weeks ago and now EVERY application (Office Aps, Firefox, Preview, etc) continually opens old files no matter what I do. I've turned this functinality off at the system level. I've tried the program from above...nothing works.


At about the same time, I suddenly needed to type in my password to do just about ANYTHING. I don't recall doing any major system upgrades, though I wouldn't be surprised if there was a system update or something.

Dec 4, 2011 11:33 AM in response to MarkDouma®

Hold down the Option key when quitting the app in question (assuming you are quitting by choosing Quit from the application's menu rather than the Dock menu). By holding down Option, "Quit" should change to "Quit and Discard Windows"


You know I've read about this "Quit and Discard Windows" option...It doesn't exist. I get "Quit and Close all Windows" or, if I've turned off the auto-restore, "Quit and Keep All Windows."

Dec 4, 2011 12:01 PM in response to cisconet1234

I found the feature annoying at first, but now simply close documents before quitting an application. Takes getting used to, but there are benefits: restart the machine and everything is as you left it. Remarkably cool.


Anyway, the excellent freeware TinkerTool allows you to modify this behavior on a per-app basis. It's in the Resume section. Lists each app, pick and choose.


http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/5721/tinkertool

Dec 4, 2011 12:18 PM in response to Carl Perkins

Yeah, that'd be great if it that solved the problem. If it did, I probably wouldn't be here looking for help.


To your point, I typically close windows and then quit. My problem here is that no matter what I do, the files keep coming back. Some of them are "recovered" from a crash weeks ago. So, it doesn't matter whether or not I close the windows before I quit or not. They'll show up again.


Thanks for the suggestion!

Jan 7, 2012 1:01 PM in response to ojvave

Preview is doing this to me


- i unchecked 'Restore windows when quitting and re-opening apps'


that didnt make the preview files all close.


- when i hold down option and quit preview, it says 'Quit and Keep Windows'




so i checked the Restore windows when quitting and re-opening apps box again, went to preview and I was then able to Quit and close all windows. Did so, but they are all still there - open.


I even Quit and closed all windows, unchecked the 'Restore windows when quitting and re-opening apps box again before opening Preview - but yep, all those jpgs and pdfs were still there



😟 can anyone help me?

stop office opening previous file

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.