WD: "The Global Template Is Already Open..." Error Starting Word

ID: Q112496

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
  • Microsoft Word for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
  • Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

The following series of error messages may occur when you start Word for Windows:

The global template, NORMAL.DOT, is already open as an add-in program.

Too many Word documents are open. Please close a window.

Word cannot open this document template.
You may have to click OK several times to close the last error message dialog box.


CAUSE

Case 1: These errors occur if the File Locations "Startup" setting points to the same location as the "User Templates" setting, which is the TEMPLATES subdirectory. (To view the Startup setting, click Options from the Tools menu and select the File Locations tab.)

For example, these errors occur if both your User Template and startup settings point to C:\WINWORD\TEMPLATE.

Case 2: This error can also be caused by the absence of a BUFFERS line in the CONFIG.SYS.


RESOLUTION

Case 1: Use the following instructions to change the Startup setting location to the STARTUP subdirectory:

  1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the File Locations Tab.


  2. In the File Types list, select Startup and then click the Modify button.


  3. In the Modify Locations dialog box, select the STARTUP directory and then click OK.

    NOTE: The following are the default STARTUP directory paths:


    4. Word 97: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Startup

    Word 6.0 and 7.0: C:\Msoffice\Winword\Startup
Case 2: To correct the second cause of this problem, use a text editor to add the following line to the contents of the CONFIG.SYS file:
BUFFERS=30
NOTE: This is valid on a Windows 3.1x platform. Windows 95 does not require a CONFIG.SYS file, but will read it if one exists. If the BUFFERS statement is set too low, then the problem could exist on a Windows 95 platform. To resolve this, you can set BUFFERS=30 or remove the BUFFERS statement from the CONFIG.SYS file and Windows will set the default BUFFERS on a Windows 95 platform.


REFERENCES

"Microsoft Word User's Guide," version 6.0, pages 714-715

Additional query words: 6.00a error message 6.00c word95 word7 word6 winword 8.00 word8 word97

Keywords : kbsetup
Version : WINDOWS:6.0,6.0a,6.0c,7.0,7.0a
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type :


Last Reviewed: November 3, 1999
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