Once you start a database, you decide at that point what you want. The first thing you do is to change to overlapping windows and save. I also dislike the tabbed interface so a better method is to create a template database with all your preferred setting and rather than clicking on new to create a new database, copy the template and rename it to the name of the new database. All your setting are already compete when you start. The template also allows you to include standard modules and forms. For example, I always have a switchboard form. Mine is based on the 2003 switchboard but I've modified it to look more modern and to have more than 8 items in the options list. I also include login, check link, relink, and lookup tables forms as well as selecting certain references.