"Probability score": 0.7

"Question improvement suggestion": Please provide more details about the steps you take before this issue occurs, any error messages you receive, and any recent changes you've made to your system or Trados Studio settings. Also, please specify your operating system and its version.

In the meantime, based on the information you have provided, here is a suggested answer to your question:

Hello,

It seems like you're experiencing an unusual issue where Trados Studio 2022 Professional is opening multiple Word files with individual target segments. This could be due to a variety of factors, including software settings, keyboard shortcuts, or even a bug in the software.

Here are a few steps you can try to resolve this issue:

Step 1: Check your Trados Studio settings. Ensure that you have the correct settings for exporting target segments. You can find these settings under "File" > "Options" > "Editor" > "Automation".

Step 2: Check your keyboard shortcuts. It's possible that a keyboard shortcut in Word is similar to a command in Trados Studio, causing this issue. You can review and change your keyboard shortcuts in Word by going to "File" > "Options" > "Customize Ribbon" > "Keyboard Shortcuts".

Step 3: Update your software. Make sure you're running the latest version of Trados Studio 2022 Professional. You can check for updates within the application.

Step 4: If the issue persists, you may want to consider reinstalling Trados Studio. Before doing so, make sure to back up any important data.

Please note that this is a general guidance and might not solve your issue directly as the exact cause is not clear yet.

I hope this answer addressed your question. If not, please reject the answer, add the question improvement suggestion information, and click the RWS Community AI checkbox on the right to try again.

RWS Community AI

Anja von Werden 

There's a problem we don't see every day... in fact I'm sure I can say I have never seen nor heard of a problem like this!!  Must be quite irritating!!

I took to AI for some help with this and here's some suggestions that might be worth looking into.  Good luck and let us know if you find the cause!

1. Keyboard Shortcut Conflict

• It's possible that a Trados Studio shortcut is conflicting with a Word shortcut or global Windows shortcut.
• For example, the Trados command to 'Copy Source to Target' (Ctrl + Insert) could potentially conflict with a Word shortcut if Word is open and active in the background.
• Check Trados Studio's shortcut settings (File → Options → Keyboard Shortcuts) and compare them to Word's shortcuts. You might find an unexpected overlap.

Action: Try temporarily changing Trados Studio’s shortcuts to see if the issue persists.

2. Rogue Macro in Word

• A Word macro could be automatically generating new documents under certain conditions.
• If the macro is designed to capture clipboard text or intercept certain keyboard actions, it could create Word documents with content from Trados segments.

Action: In Word, go to:

• Developer tab → Macros (if Developer tab isn’t enabled, you can add it in Word options)
• Check for any unexpected macros that may be running.

3. External Automation Tool (AutoHotkey, PowerToys, etc.)

• If you're using automation tools like AutoHotkey or PowerToys, there may be a conflicting script running that intercepts Trados Studio shortcuts.

Action: Review any automation scripts or disable them temporarily to see if the issue resolves.

4. Clipboard Manager or Clipboard Hijacking

• Some clipboard managers automatically create Word documents when they detect text copied multiple times. This behaviour can accidentally trigger if Trados frequently copies segments to the clipboard.

Action: If you use a clipboard manager (e.g., Ditto, ClipClip), try disabling it and see if the issue disappears.

5. Word’s AutoRecover or Draft Mode

• Word sometimes saves temporary draft files or recovery files. If Studio somehow triggers this via clipboard content, it could mistakenly create those files.

Action: Check Word's AutoRecover settings:

• Go to File → Options → Save and check the AutoRecover file location. If Word documents are appearing there, Word’s recovery function might be misfiring.

6. Accidental Drag and Drop

• If you're unknowingly dragging text between applications (especially if Word is running in the background), this could create new documents. This is rare but possible with touchpads or external mice.

Anja von Werden 

You are using Word as a spellchecker. This causes Trados Studio to open hidden Word instances, which you will not see in the task bar. These Word instances should usually be closed when you close Trados Studio. However, when you have TS open and start Word, these instances do interfere with the open Word and will not be closed properly. Please try not to open Word in parallel with Trados Studio, when using Word as a spellchecker.