OFFXP: Safe Mode Dialog Box Is Hidden Behind Current Office Program Window

When you attempt to start a Microsoft Office program in safe mode (press the CTRL key while starting the program), the Safe Mode dialog box is not displayed as expected, and the program does not appear to start.

The Safe Mode dialog box is displayed behind the open document window of the current Office program.

This behavior occurs when the following conditions are true:

• You are using a Microsoft Office XP program on a Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me)-based computer.
  
  -and-
• You start an Office program in safe mode by pressing and holding down the CTRL key while you click the Office program shortcut on the Start menu.
  
  -and-
• Another Office program window is already open.

To work around this issue, minimize the current Office program to make visible the Safe Mode dialog box for the Office program that you just started.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

For more information about safe mode, click Microsoft Help on the Help menu, type safe mode in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topics returned.