Make Word 2013 Always Open a Blank Document

If you use Word 2013, you may have noticed that it often opens to the Start screen—a page with templates, recent documents, and other options—rather than a fresh, blank document. While this can be handy, many users prefer to go straight to a clean page for quick note-taking or drafting. This guide shows you how to change that setting so Word 2013 always opens with a blank document, saving you a click every time you start the program.

What You’ll Need

• Microsoft Word 2013 installed on your computer
• Access to the Word Options menu (no admin rights required)

Step-by-Step

1. Open Word 2013. If it opens to the Start screen, click on the Blank document option to enter the main editing window. If you’ve already changed the setting before, it may open directly to a blank document—that’s fine.
2. Click the File tab. This is the blue tab in the top-left corner of the ribbon. It looks like a folder with a small tab.
3. Select Options. In the left sidebar of the File menu, scroll down and click Options. This opens the Word Options dialog box.
4. Go to the General tab. The dialog box opens with the General tab selected by default. If not, click on General in the left pane.
5. Find the Start up options section. Scroll down within the General tab until you see a group labeled Start up options. It’s usually near the bottom of the window.
6. Uncheck the box next to “Show the Start screen when this application starts.� Click the checkbox to remove the checkmark. If the box is already unchecked, you’re all set—but you can still follow the next step to confirm.
7. Click OK. This saves your changes and closes the dialog box.
8. Restart Word. Close Word completely and reopen it. It should now open directly to a blank document, skipping the Start screen.

Common Mistakes

• Clicking the wrong checkbox. There is a similar option called “Show the Start screen when this application starts� in some other Office apps, but in Word 2013 it’s specifically under Start up options. Make sure you uncheck the right one.
• Not restarting Word. The change only takes effect after you close and reopen Word. If you just close the document and open a new one, you’ll still see the Start screen.
• Editing the registry manually. Some online guides suggest changing registry keys. This is unnecessary and risky—the Options menu is the safe and official way.
• Assuming it applies to all Office apps. This setting only affects Word 2013. Excel and PowerPoint have their own similar settings, which you’ll need to change separately if desired.

Tips

• Quick access to templates. Even with the Start screen disabled, you can still access templates by going to File > New within Word. You won’t lose any functionality.
• Use keyboard shortcuts. If you ever need a new blank document while working, press Ctrl+N to open one instantly without going through the Start screen.
• Pin Word to taskbar. If you want to start a blank document even faster, right-click the Word icon on your taskbar and select Blank document from the jump list—this works regardless of the setting.
• Check for updates. If the setting doesn’t seem to stick, make sure your Office installation is up to date. Microsoft has released updates that fix such glitches.

Troubleshooting

Word still opens to the Start screen. If you’ve unchecked the box and restarted, but Word still shows the Start screen, try the following:

1. Re-check the setting. Go back to File > Options > General and ensure the checkbox is indeed unchecked. Sometimes it may revert due to a glitch.
2. Repair Office. Open Control Panel, go to Programs and Features, select Microsoft Office, and choose Change. Then select Quick Repair (or Online Repair if that doesn’t work). This can fix corrupted settings.
3. Check for Group Policy. If you’re on a managed computer (like a work or school PC), an administrator may have enforced a policy that forces the Start screen. In that case, you’ll need to contact your IT department.
4. Reset Word settings. As a last resort, you can reset Word to its default settings by closing Word, then using the Registry Editor to delete the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Word\Options key. However, this is advanced and should only be done if you’re comfortable with the registry—back it up first. A simpler alternative is to uninstall and reinstall Office.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this remove my recently used documents from the Start screen?

No. The Start screen won’t appear, but your recent documents are still accessible via File > Recent in Word. The setting only changes what you see when you first launch the app.

Can I still access templates if I disable the Start screen?

Yes. Templates are available under File  New. You can browse and search for templates just as before.

Does this setting affect other Office programs like Excel or PowerPoint?

No, it’s specific to Word 2013. Each Office application has its own similar setting under its own Options menu.

Why would someone want to keep the Start screen?

The Start screen gives quick access to templates, recent documents, and other online resources. Some users find it convenient, especially if they frequently use templates or need to open files from cloud storage.

What if I want to revert to the Start screen later?

Simply go back to File > Options > General and re-check the box “Show the Start screen when this application starts.� Click OK and restart Word.

Is there a way to make Word open a specific template instead of a blank document?

Yes, you can place a template in the Word Startup folder (usually C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP) and then set that template as the default. However, this is more advanced and not necessary for most users.

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