If you have Word installed and you attempt to open a Word document from within Eclipse it will open the document inside the Eclipse IDE using object linking and embedding (OLE). I searched the web for a way to force Eclipse to open the editor outside of the IDE. I ended up fixing the problem myself. It was pretty easy, but I thought I would put it here in case someone else is looking for the solution.

Inside the Eclipse IDE:

1. Goto Window > Preferences
2. General > Editors > File Associations
3. Click 'Add' to add a new file type
4. Type *.doc into the File Type field provided
5. With the *.doc file type selected, click the 'Add' button next to the Associated Editor box
6. Ensure that the External Programs radio button is selected
7. If Microsoft Word is not listed by default, you may need to use the browse button to located the Word.exe file

NOTE: You will need to repeat the steps for .docx files if you are using Word 2007.

That's it! Pretty easy. I love Eclipse!