Forum Discussion

Matt Allington's avatar
Mar 15, 2022

How do I Stop Word Switching to Multiple Pages View

I have a high resolution wide screen monitor. Every time I open a Word document in full screen, it switches to the Multiple Pages view (typically 2 pages, side by side).  I hate this view! I can't read 2 pages at a time. I always want a single page view.  Does anyone know if there is a way to stop Word changing to this view?

 

I am using Microsoft® Word for Microsoft 365 MSO (Version 2202 Build 16.0.14931.20128) 64-bit

 

  • nmarsh's avatar
    nmarsh
    Copper Contributor

    It makes me angry that Microsoft CARES SO LITTLE about what it's customers need and how they use Microsoft Office.

    There is NEVER any time that I want my documents to open in a 2 page view. Who thought this was a good design decision anyway? Why on God's green earth do Microsoft developers and program managers WANT to make it hard for users?????????

    Anyone do Use Case Scenarios any more? Good user-focused design requires it. How about this one? An end user wants to view all their documents in a single page format.  Many end users have requested this since 2022 at least. How ridiculously easy would it be to include a persistent, global switch where end users can CHOOSE FOR THEMSELVES how they would like to work with documents.

    The solution is so incredibly simple, I can only assume that Microsoft simply does not give a rat's **bleep** about whether their end users are happy.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised - this is only one example of how Microsoft designs software that makes work harder (instead of easier).

  • tere21sa's avatar
    tere21sa
    Copper Contributor

     

    Disregard! When I restarted and opened an external file, it opened in 2 page view. 

    SaveViewLocMulti it is.

    • tere21sa 

       

      The steps you listed (in an unedited version of your reply) will only work for older versions of Word in which it was still possible to save the view and zoom with individual documents.

       

      Word 2013 and later do not let you store view options in an individual document or template. Instead, Word starts with the settings that you specified in the last open document in the previous session (at least that is how it is supposed to work nowadays).

       

      To restore the behavior of pre-Word 2013, use Jay Freedman's add-in, called SaveViewLocMulti (see https://jay-freedman.info/). 

      • kathy2343's avatar
        kathy2343
        Brass Contributor

        Stefan_Blom

        "Instead, Word starts with the settings that you specified in the last open document in the previous session (at least that is how it is supposed to work nowadays)."

         

        Sorry, but that's not how it's working, which is exactly the problem. I never use two page view, NEVER. And yet Word randomly opens a document that way.

         

        It should not take an add-in to correct this. It should not be doing it in the first place.

         

        I'm on Office 365 home edition, constantly updated.

  • kathy2343's avatar
    kathy2343
    Brass Contributor

    I've had the same problem intermittently for several years, and it drives me crazy. As others have posted, it is not because I was in two-page view previously or because vertical isn't selected--it's just random when opening files. All the "solutions" are just workarounds that require multiple clicks--this is a bug that needs to be fixed.

  • Here when re-opening Word, the Zoom ratio that is in effect is that, which was applied to the document that was the last one closed in the previous Word session

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