Cannot delete document in Word 2007

  • Thread starter Thread starter Virginia
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Virginia

I have about 10 documents in Word 2007 and cannot delete any of them. They
all have a stick pin on the right hand side. I have read Word instructions
and they don't work.
Virginia
 
I assume that you mean the recent file list seen when you click the pizza
button? These are not documents but links to documents. If the documents
themselves are removed the links will not work, but will remain in the list.

The list is stored in the registry at
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12\Word\FileMRU, from where you
can delete individual entries
or
You can use the following macro which will reset the list to your preset
preferred number of displayed documents:

Sub ClearMRU
Application.DisplayRecentFiles = True
listsize = RecentFiles.Maximum
RecentFiles.Maximum = 0
RecentFiles.Maximum = listsize
End Sub

See http://www.gmayor.com/installing_macro.htm
or to edit the list see
http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/Recent_Files_List_Editor.htm

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
 
The pin indicates that they have been "pinned" to the MRU list to be
permanent. There should be a way to unpin them (try clicking on the tack
icon).
 
Virginia said:
I have about 10 documents in Word 2007 and cannot delete any of them. They
all have a stick pin on the right hand side. I have read Word instructions
and they don't work.
Virginia
Click to expand...
 
I do not want these documents to stay in the links. I want them deleted.
I am not using them anymore. I used Word Perfect for years and when you
decide you don't need a doument anymore you can delete it. Are you telling
me that I can never delete any documents that they willl stay there?
 
I tried clicking the pin and it changes to a round circle but still doesn't
delete the document.
 
In that case, they are still among the most recently used and will gradually
be supplanted both other documents you open. In previous versions, you could
set the MRU number to zero and then back to nine, and the old entries would
be gone. My understanding is that in 2007 that's not possible through the
UI, but Greg Maxey offers an add-in for this purpose at
http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/Recent_Files_List_Editor.htm.
 
Hi Virginia,

Unfortuntately the deletion cursor used in prior versions that could take off entries didn't work right in Word 2007 and was
basically disabled by Microsoft.

At present the three basic ways to delete entries on the Recent document list in Word 2007 under the Office Button are:

1. Reset the list size to zero in Word's Options
[File Button=>Word Options] or (Alt, T, O, A)
and scroll down in the 'Advanced' settings to the 'Display'
category and change the
'Show this Number of Recent Documents'
setting to zero to remove all entries.

2. Delete the specific registry entry for that item either manually

Start=>Run
Regedit
and navigate to
HKEY_CURRENT USER
Software
Microsoft
Office
12.0
Word
File MRU
locate the file name you want removed, right click on the
'Item #' and delete the particular file name then restart Word.
or do the above with a Word macro. [Unfortunately I don't recall seeing a macro similar to Word 2003's support.dot template form
driven macro for setting registry options, that would make this a bit simpler] :(

3. Wait/ignore that particular item until it drops off of the list as its replaced by a newer entry.


================
I do not want these documents to stay in the links. I want them deleted.
I am not using them anymore. I used Word Perfect for years and when you
decide you don't need a doument anymore you can delete it. Are you telling me that I can never delete any documents that they
willl stay there?>>
--

Bob Buckland ?:-)
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*
 
Suzanne

In previous versions, you could
set the MRU number to zero and then back to nine, and the old entries would
be gone. My understanding is that in 2007 that's not possible through the
UI,
Click to expand...

<snip>

I have Word 2007 and Windows XP: you can do the same thing in Word
2007. Setting the number to 0 (and closing Word Options to accept the
change) and then opening Word Options and resetting it to some other
number works; that is, when resetting it to, say, 5, the earlier files
do *not* reappear.

David
 
Bob the first one sounds to me like I would delete all the documents and I
don't want to do that. I have a couple documents that I want to delete
permanently and definitely don't want them to come back. So I think I will
try the second one. Thank You so much

Also, thank you all to your replies.
 
Bob I went in on #2 as you wrote and after finding the document I wanted It
said:
Deleting certain registry values could cause system instability. Are you
sure you want to permantly delete this value.
 
Okay, that's good to know. I thought I had read otherwise--perhaps it's only
setting it to a lower number (but greater than zero) and then back to a
higher that doesn't work?
 
Suzanne,

Yep, you're right about the differential effect. I changed to "5" to
"2" and then back to "5": 5 documents then showed immediately in the
recent document windows.

So, it does seem that if one resets to a lower number (other than
"0") and then resets to a higher number, then the higher number of
documents shows immediately -- and the intermediate reset to a lower
number has no lasting effect.

But resetting to "0" wipes out the list even when thereafter reset to
a higher number.

David

**********************************************
 
Hi Virginia,

The registry is like the files on your hard drive. Deleting or changing items you know is usually okay, deleting at random in
either place can cause problems and frustrations. Deleting one of the listed files is usually okay, but you can always backup that
section of the registry first if you like from RegEdit's File=>Export list by highlighting the 'FileMRU' key.

If you're not comfortable using RegEdit directly, Suzanne Barnhill mentioned in another post in this thread that there is indeed,
now, thanks to Greg Maxey, a download you can obtain
http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/Recently Used Files Edit.zip
that along the lines of MS's previous Word Support template, gives you an form (as described on his page)
http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/Recent_Files_List_Editor.htm
that will let you choose items to remove from the Word 2007 File MRU (Most Recently Used list). It works in Word 2007. Download
the zip file, extract the .DOT (template) file it contains to your computer along with other .dot templates then double click it and
use the
'Edit Recent File List' choice under the 'Add-Ins' tab that appears on the ribbon. (Note that Word may seem to take a long time to
start when you start it by double clicking on the template file, but be patient <g>) Once you make that choice in the 'Add-Ins' tab
you'll have a form that you can use by just clicking on the individual entries you want removed. You can also set the number of
files to appear from zero to fifty.

Also as another poster, DJPrius mentioned you can also shorten rather than zero out the number of items on the list (method 1) then
reset to a higher number to erase only part of the list. )This was a change from a prerelease version of Word 2007) <g>.

===========
Bob I went in on #2 as you wrote and after finding the document I wanted It said:
Deleting certain registry values could cause system instability. Are you
sure you want to permantly delete this value.>>
--

Bob Buckland ?:-)
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*
 
In Fact the MRU can be set up to 50 documents now. I set mine so that all my
screen height is used and none scroll off the bottom edge - that's 43
documents at 1640 X 1080 resolution).

Terry Farrell
 
One correction, Bob: shortening the list does *not* work, as DJPrius
confirmed; when you reset to a higher number, all the files come back. Only
by setting to zero can you actually clear (any part of) the list.
 
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