Stop Word and Excel from Reopening Files After Windows Restart
Question details
The user wants to prevent Microsoft Word and Excel from automatically launching and reopening previously opened documents when starting or restarting Windows.
- Product
- Microsoft Word and Excel
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Rebooting or turning on a Windows computer and experiencing auto-launching applications.
- Observed behavior
- Word and Excel applications, along with the documents that were open before shutdown, automatically reopen when Windows starts up.
Before modifying your system startup and application recovery settings, ensure you have manually saved and closed all important documents to prevent any accidental data loss.
Disable the Windows 'Restart apps' Setting
Turn off the system-level feature in Windows that automatically saves and reopens your applications after a restart.
Windows 10 and 11 include a feature designed to seamlessly resume your workflow by reopening applications that were active before you shut down. Disabling this sign-in option is the most effective way to stop Word and Excel from auto-starting.
Click the Start button on your Windows taskbar and select the Settings gear icon.
In the Settings menu, click on 'Accounts'.
Select 'Sign-in options' from the left-hand navigation pane.
Scroll down to the 'Restart apps' section and toggle the switch to 'Off' for the setting that says 'Automatically save my restartable apps when I sign out and restart them after I sign in'.
Adjust Office AutoRecover Settings
Modify the document recovery settings in Word and Excel if the files continue to appear after unexpected shutdowns.
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- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download the free, lightweight installer.
- 2. Install the Suite: Run the downloaded file and follow the simple on-screen instructions to install WPS Office on your Windows PC.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my Excel files open automatically when I turn on my computer?
This happens primarily because Windows 10 and 11 have a 'Restart apps' feature enabled by default. It saves the state of applications that were running when you shut down the PC and automatically reopens them, including Excel files, when you sign back in.
Will turning off 'Restart apps' affect other programs besides Word and Excel?
Yes, disabling the 'Restart apps' setting in your Windows Sign-in options is a system-wide change. It will prevent all supported applications, such as web browsers and other productivity tools, from automatically reopening after a system reboot.
How do I stop a specific Excel file from opening on startup?
If only one specific file is automatically opening every time you launch Excel, it may be saved in your 'XLSTART' folder. You can navigate to 'C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART' and delete or move the file to stop it from auto-loading.
Can I keep AutoRecover enabled but stop files from opening on Windows restart?
Yes. You can leave the AutoRecover feature turned on in Word and Excel to keep your data safe during crashes, and simply turn off the Windows 'Restart apps' setting to stop the programs from launching automatically when your computer boots up.
