Quick Tip: Bypassing the “Backstage view” when launching Word 2013

In case you don’t have time to read the entire lengthy post on this topic, here’s a condensed version.  Follow these steps to bypass the “Backstage view” (the full screen that appears when you click the File tab) and go straight to a new blank document when you launch Word 2013:

• Click the File tab, then click Options.
• When the Word Options dialog opens, you should see a Navigation Bar at the left (with “General” highlighted in blue) and, at right, the “General options for working with Word.”
• Locate the section labeled “Start up options” at the bottom of the General options screen.
• The very last choice, “Show the Start screen when this application starts,” is what causes Word to open to the Backstage view. It is enabled (checked) by default.  To disable that option, uncheck it.
• Finally, click the “OK” button at the bottom right side of the Word Options dialog.
  CAUTION: Do not close out of the Word Options by clicking the “X” at the top right side of the dialog, or Word will not save your changes.

The next time you open Word, it should take you directly to a blank document screen, not to the Backstage view.