How to change the Startup folder of Word

If you want to change the Startup folder location of Microsoft Word in Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC, here is how you can do that. There are three different methods to get it done. For example, you can use the in-built settings panel, Local Group Policy Editor, and the Registry Editor.

The Word Startup folder contains all the data files, add-ins, themes or templates, etc. In other terms, Word fetches all the data from the respective Startup folder. The default location of the Startup folder is C:\Users\user-name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP. However, if you want to change the Startup folder location of Word, here is how you can do that.

How to change Word Startup folder

To change the Startup folder of Microsoft Word, follow these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Word on your computer.
2. Click on the File and select Options.
3. Switch to the Advanced tab.
4. Find the General section and click the File Location button.
5. Select the Startup option and click the Modify button.
6. Select a new folder and click the OK button.

To learn more about these steps, continue reading.

First, you need to open Microsoft Word on your computer and click on the File visible in the top menu bar. Then, click on the Options and switch to the Advanced tab. Here you can find a section called General. Navigate to that and click on the File Location button.

You can see the location of various folders, including the Startup. You need to click on the Startup option to select and click the Modify button.

 

Next, you need to choose a folder you want set as the Startup folder for Word and click the OK button.

That’s all! It will be changed automatically. However, you may need to move the data manually.

How to change the Startup folder of Word using Group Policy

To change the Startup folder of Word using Group Policy, follow these steps:

1. Press Win+R to display the Run prompt.
2. Type gpedit.msc and hit the Enter button.
3. Navigate to File Locations in User Configuration.
4. Double-click on the Startup setting.
5. Select the Enabled option.
6. Enter the folder path in the empty box.
7. Click the OK button.

Let’s check out these steps in detail.

To get started, you need to open the Local Group Policy Editor on your computer. For that, press Win+R to display the Run prompt, type gpedit.msc, and hit the Enter button.

Next, navigate to the following path:

User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Word 2016 > Word Options > Advanced > File Locations

Here you can find a setting called Startup. Double-click on it and choose the Enabled option.

Next, enter the new startup folder path in the empty box and click the OK button.

Once done, you need to restart the Microsoft Word if it was opened during the GPEDIT change.

How to change the Startup folder of Word using Registry

To change the Startup folder of Word using Registry, follow these steps:

1. Search for regedit in the Taskbar search box.
2. Click on the individual search result and click on the Yes button.
3. Navigate to office in HKCU.
4. Right-click on office > New > Keyand name it as 0.
5. Right-click on 0 > New > Keyand set the name as word.
6. Repeat these steps to create a sub-key called options.
7. Right-click on options > New > Expandable String Value.
8. Set the name as startup-path.
9. Double-click on it and enter the startup folder path.
10. Click the OK button and reboot your PC.

Let’s delve into these steps in detail.

First, you need to open the Registry Editor on your computer. For that, you can search for regedit in the Taskbar search box, click on the individual search result, and click the Yes button on the UAC prompt.

Next, navigate to the following path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\office

Right-click on office > New > Key and name it as 16.0. Repeat these steps to create another sub-key under 16.0 and name it as word.

After that, right-click on word > New > Key and set the name as options. Once done, you need to an Expandable String Value. To do that, right-click on options > New > Expandable String Value and name it as startup-path.

Double-click on it and enter the new startup folder path as the Value data.

Once done, click the OK button and restart your computer to save the change.

Where is Word Startup folder?

The Startup folder location for Word is C:\Users\user-name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP. However, you can change or modify the Startup folder location on your Windows computer using the aforementioned guides. There are three different methods, and you can follow any one of them according to your requirements.

Where are Word add-ins stored?

Microsoft Word stores all the add-ins in here: C:\Users\user-name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP. Not only add-ins, but also it stores templates and other files that require to run the Word smoothly. However, if you want to change the location, you can follow the above-mentioned tricks.

That’s all!

Read: How to extract Text from an Image in Microsoft Word.