Unable to open multiple files with Windows Explorer

Right click on the folder and click OPEN. Each folder will open in a separate window. Using the selections in Folder Options doesn't seem to change things like it should (unless I have missed something!!).

What I'm trying to do is open a number of files (e.g. Word document 1, Word document 2, Word document 3) at the same time--by selecting them and then clicking open under file.  Nothing happens.  If I double-click on each file it will open--but nothing happens if I try to open them together.

I use my mothers Microsoft Word and there is a small icon of a blank page in the top left corner. If you click on it, it opens a new window. I've never known it to do otherwise.

As far as I know, opening multiple Word files always results in each file in a separate window.

I have Office 2007, and I can select multiple files in the OPEN command, and when I click OPEN, they all open in their own window. If I select multiple Word docs in Windows Explorer and then right click and click OPEN, the same thing happens, all the selected files appear in separate Word windows. I believe all the versions of Word, back to at least Office 95 do the same thing.

What Word version are you using? I don't know of an option to select how this happens, it is the way it's designed. Perhaps you need to reinstall Word.

I am using Word 2003.  We use the same version on two other XPs on the network.  One is running Prof. and the other is running Home XP (as is the machine in question).

I'm not trying to open new file from within Word.  I'm trying to open multiple existing files.  Let's say I have a number of sermons in a folder on my computer.  I should be able to select them using the Shift or Cntrl key and then go to the pull-down file menu and click "Open".  That should open all the files (each in its own "window).  But nothing happens.  It doesn't even open one file and then stop.  I have to double-click on each file individually (or open in using the open option under "file).

This problem is not specific to just Word files and it happens even if I run in Safe Mode.

What you want to do is what should happen and does for me in Word 2007 and earlier versions. I haven't seen an option to turn this on or off and didn't find anything on the web. You may have a corrupted program. Try a Repair Install by starting the Uninstall or reinstall from the Word disk.