I am using Word 2010. When I click on File, Open, and then open a document, the back button on the upper left becomes inactive and I can't browse through directories. I have to click on C;\, etc. Really annoying. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Attached Images

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The dialogue is behaving as intended. Once you've navigated to a folder and opened a file, the dialogue closes and the last-used folder becomes the default for the next File>Open. If you close and re-start Word, the dialogue opens at whatever folder is specified under File|Options|Save>Default file location.

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Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Thanks. I don't see that value of that kind of access to the directories, but that's the way it is.

I agree with Paul.
If you want to go up a directory, click on the directory you want in the window above. In the picture you posted, you could click on "Local Disk (C)."

The forward and back buttons work like they do in a browser. If you open an new browser window, neither of those buttons function until you click on a link or type a new URL. Then the back button is active. If you use it, the forward button will become active.