Stopping Word from Accessing the Internet

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 18, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 2002 and 2003


3

Verle noted that every time he starts Word it tries to access the Internet. So far the only way he has been able to stop it is by using his firewall program, but he can't help but think there must be another way.

Generally speaking, Word will access the Internet only when you use Help or when you click a link. If a link is on a network and you have Word configured to update automatic links when a document is opened, then Word may also try to access the Internet. However, just starting Word with a blank document should not cause it to access the Internet.

That being said, there are a few things you can check out. First, look in your Word Startup folder to see if there are any templates located there that might contain AutoExec macros. Since anything in the Startup folder is automatically loaded when you start Word, those AutoExec macros get run. If those macros access the Internet, then it will always seem like Word is accessing the Internet when you start the program.

You can also start Word and check to see which templates and add-ins are loading when Word starts. If those have any AutoExec macros that access the Internet, then you'll run into the same problem.

If all else fails, start Word from the command prompt using the following command:

winword.exe /a

This starts Word without any add-ins and without the default template. It should not access the Internet. If the Internet is accessed when you start Word normally and it doesn't access the Internet when you use the command-line approach, then you know that you've missed something in a template or add-in.

If your default template includes some "boilerplate" unique to your company, that boilerplate could be causing the Internet to be accessed, or at least your network to be accessed. This is particularly true if the template includes links to network documents or if it contains graphics (such as a logo) that must be refreshed from a remote location.

Another thing you might check is whether your copy of Word is trying to update the workspace based on shared settings over your network. If you are using Word 2002 or Word 2003, follow these steps:

  1. Choose Options from the Tools menu. Word displays the Options dialog box.
  2. Make sure the General tab is displayed.
  3. Click the Service Options button. Word displays the Service Options dialog box.
  4. Make sure that Customer Feedback Options is selected at the left of the dialog box. (See Figure 1.)
  5. Figure 1. The Service Options dialog box.

  6. Choose the No, I Don't Wish to Participate radio button.
  7. At the left of the dialog box, click Online Content.
  8. Clear the Show Content and Links from Microsoft Office Online check box.
  9. At the left of the dialog box, click Shared Workspace.
  10. At the right of the dialog box, search for any radio button that is labeled, in part, "Never." Choose these.
  11. Click OK.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (5889) applies to Microsoft Word 2002 and 2003.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Understanding DATE Field Formatting

One of the most commonly used fields is the DATE field. You can specify how the DATE field displays the current date by ...

Discover More

Preventing Someone from Recreating a Protected Worksheet

When you share a protected workbook with other people, you may not want them to get around the protection by creating a ...

Discover More

Standardizing Note Reference Placement

Want to modify where an endnote or footnote reference appears in relation to the punctuation in a sentence? Here's a way ...

Discover More

Comprehensive VBA Guide Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the language used for writing macros in all Office programs. This complete guide shows both professionals and novices how to master VBA in order to customize the entire Office suite for their needs. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2010 today!

More WordTips (menu)

Creating Hyperlinks from E-mail Addresses

Got a document that has a whole raft of e-mail address in it? You can easily convert all of them to clickable hyperlinks ...

Discover More

Controlling the Program Used with Hyperlinked Images

How to tell Windows which program to use for graphics with hyperlinks.

Discover More

Creating a Hyperlink to a Specific Page

Most people add hyperlinks in a document to reference pages on the Web. You can, however, create hyperlinks to other Word ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is six minus 6?

2015-06-02 11:34:31

Spreadsheetninja

Noticed excel 2010 has these checkboxes marked on by default :x


2015-04-29 20:45:44

chris

Hey,

I can't get word to stop prompting me for internet access everytime I start it up. I migrated computers a few months ago and this has been happening ever since. I had fixed it on my other computer.

I deleted all .plist files as another blog suggested. I don't have any exec files in the start-up folder.

I tried the winword.exe /a. Is that done in Terminal? It tells me no command found. Where can I type this?

Obviously I've tried every setting with the firewall and it does nothing. This prompt every time is so infuriating! I really want it to stop asking me.



2014-09-07 22:50:03

cak

MS Office accesses the internet (if available) each time it starts in order to check if there's another computer running another non-unique copy of MS Office. If it finds another copy running on another internet connected computer, it refuses to boot and the other copy will also need to be shut down. How can that be avoided?


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.