If you want to open the File New dialog with File | New... then substitute
the FileNewDialog command (Tools | Customize | All Commands).

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org
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"gman" wrote in message
...
When one clicks on NEW under FILE, a window opens that has on its right
side
that area that has New Document on the top and New (blank document, xml
document, etc.) and Template beneath. Is there any way to permanently
prevent that area from appearing when I select NEW under FILE? Just
curious
because if Microsoft had to give us the options presented to us in that
area
then why did they not just stick to the KISS principle and have all these
options in a pop-type menu next to NEW under FILE? Why all this extra,
superfluous junk on the screen that requires moving the mouse over there
to
select something that I could have selected right under FILE when my
cursor
was there? I realize I can click the blank document icon that rests right
beneath FILE in the tool bar and get a document without that, but I guess
I
am just curious about Microsoft's rational.