Getting Started Menu

[Marty]

Is there a way to open a file so that the "Getting Started" menu doesn't
appear each time? I find it annoying that I need to close it as my first act
of editing a file.

Thanks.

 

[Marty]

I should have mentioned that this is Word 2003

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If disabling it (by clearing the "Startup task pane" check box on the View
tab of Tools | Options) doesn't work, get the Task Pane Controller from
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/ShowTaskPane.htm