Microsoft Word keeps opening on its own primarily due to a few common reasons:
- Windows Error Reporting forcing Word to open repeatedly, which can happen if the Error Reporting subprocess (DWWIN.exe) triggers Word to launch automatically. This is a known bug linked to Microsoft 365 and Word starting up unexpectedly.
- A startup feature or setting in Word or Windows that tries to restore previous sessions or open documents automatically at startup. For example, Windows can restore apps that were open before shutdown, causing Word to open a blank or previous document after restart.
- The "Start Screen" feature in Word may cause it to open multiple documents or blank documents, and disabling the "Show the start screen when this application starts" option in Word’s settings can stop this behavior.
- Occasionally, Word might be set by mistake in startup programs or triggered by background processes related to Office repairs or updates.
Details for fixes include:
- Doing a Quick Repair or Online Repair of Microsoft Office to fix corrupted files.
- Disabling Windows Error Reporting service or suppressing it via group policies can stop Word from opening unexpectedly.
- Turning off the "Restore windows when quitting and restarting apps" option in Windows settings.
- Turning off the Word start screen under Word Options > General > Uncheck “Show the start screen when this application starts”.
In summary, Word opening by itself is commonly tied to either Windows error reporting bugs, session restore features on Windows, or Word specific start screen settings. Repairing Office and disabling these settings typically resolves the issue.