I minimize a Word file and open another Word file and the earlier file automatically closes. What should I do?

Question

Earlier, I used to work by opening even 16 Word files simultaneously. But from yesterday, when I minimize a Word file and open the other Word file, the earlier file which was opened by me, automatically closes. This is a very annoying problem as I have to re-open the same. I can't work on two Word files at the same time.

How can I fix it?

Thanks Rick. But I need to open a number of Word files to work. I did not face this problem earlier.

Thanks so much to all of you for your valuable suggestions.

When I checked out the Windows from the Menu, I found that both the files were mentioned there and I could open the other file by clicking on that BUT earlier I had this option at the bottom of my screen. Of course, I can open the other file also, but I will have to go to Windows tab whereas if I have all the files open at the bottom, it is much more convenient. How can I do the same?

Thanks in anticipation

Answer 1

Are you sure it's closing them? Go to the Windows tab (it's the one next to the "help" tab). click on it and you might find that it is actually just listing them one after another. To see multiple files just click on arrange or cascade.

Answer 2

Did it really close it? Check the Windows menu in MS Word. Usually, when one file is open, and you open another file, the other file is still open, but to access it, you may have to go to the Windows menu and find the previous file.

Also, if you double click on your word document to open the file, then you may want to use the file>open (ctrl+o) to open a file. This method may fix that problem of closing a file. Double clicking a word document may close the active running word program and open word again with the file that you double clicked on.

So, first check to see if the file was really close by using the windows menu.

If the file was really closed, then try opening the file with File>Open (ctrl+o).

Answer 3

Are you sure the first file is really closed? Have you looked at Task Manager to confirm that? Also, have you tried to not minimize the first doc, just opening a second doc? What happens if you minimize the first doc without opening a second? Just trying to troubleshoot where the problem lies, because I've never had this experience (and I've been working with MS Word since Bill Gates chiseled on stone tablets!)

Answer 4

always save your files before you open a new one, then try not to minimize anything and open the new one.

Answer 5

click file, close. untill your file comes back up