Using the /a Switch to Troubleshoot Word Startup

Using the /a switch with Word can help you troubleshoot startup problems. The /a switch prevents global templates, including the Normal.dot template, from loading. It also prevents add-ins from loading when you start Word. Any customizations to settings also will not load.

To use the /a switch, you must first locate the Word program file, Winword.exe.

The location of Winword will vary depending upon the version of Word you’re using:

Word 2003
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11

Word 2002
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10

Once you’ve located Winword.exe, click Start>>Run. In the Open box, enter the path for Winword.exe surrounded by quotes. For example, for Word 2002, type: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\Winword.exe"

At the end of the file path, enter a space and the /a switch. Then, click OK.