Software

Word 97 is notorious for usually opening a fresh instance each time it?s started. Probably so much so, it becomes a ?feature? in Word 2000 and 2002.
Here?s a macro that fixes the feature
It?s from:

http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/MacrosVBA/CheckWordOpen.htm

(There are no spaces in the URL)
by Lutz Gentkow
Sub AutoExec()

Dim Hits As Long, oTask As Task

For Each oTask In Tasks
If Left(oTask.Name, 14) = "Microsoft Word" Then Hits = Hits + 1
If Hits = 2 Then
oTask.WindowState = wdWindowStateMaximize
Application.Quit
End If
Next oTask

End Sub

As an experiment, rename the Normal.dot file on the recalcitrant machine to Normal.old
restart Word and then add the code to that machine.
Here's how the macro is supposed to work:

"Being an AutoExec macro, it fires automatically when you start a new instance of Word; and if it finds two open instances (the new one plus another one that was already open), then it activates the one that was already open and quits the new instance."

Point value changed by question poster.

Word automatically recreates Normal.dot. That?s natural. Take a look at the Tools>Options File Locations tab (I think that?s the same spot in W97)

See if there is another location for User Templates. Also look in the Startup directory. Somewhere you have another template bring in the macro. Try searching for Main.dot, if all else fails.

Let us know what you find out.

This question was closed by the author