Corrupt Word Doc While Editing

[jen]

Hi.
I'm creating a manual in Word for a program we use at work.
While I am working (40 pages) the formatting gets very complicated and
autosave and autoformating becomes a nightmare, Finally, Word halts for ages
as thought it's either updating or something, though it allows me to
continue on other applications. This can take up to 10 minutes. Just
adding one word or saving would take another 10 minutes. In the meantime,
the size increases constantly, from a normal 10 mb to 116 mb in just 2
minutes.
I know it's to do with formatting as this happens mostly when inserting
number/bullets. Normally the doc automatically adjusts and one can backspace
if necessary. However, in my doc, this causes the whole document to go
crazy, and takes forever, and gets worse by the minute. While this is going
on, I try 'saving as' in another name, but doesn't help. I copy and paste,
which has worked much in the past, as if cleansed from whatever was plaguing
it, but by now the file is complicated, with many images and screen shots.

I have tried splitting the file up in three bits, copied pasted, fixed the
formatting and copied and pasted bit by bit. it worked!! But, then after
a couple of days, adding a little to it here and there, it happens again,
till it finally collapsed. The other day, it auto recovered on 2003 and
something got fixed because it went down to 10,000 kb and worked like a
dream. Two days later (today) I'm just finishing it off at work, small
details, corrections and it starts to happen again, until I couldn't even do
my normal work. Word would just crash, every time I tried to save it.

Any ideas please?
Also how can you repair a damaged file?
Thanks in advance

 

[Jezebel]

Corruption as you describe usually relates to one specific bit of the
document: typically a graphic with an internal corruption or a table --
especially a very long table that spans several pages. You describe
recovering the document and everything was fine for a few days -- it might
be that during that time you didn't visit the bit of the document that
contained the corruption.

What sort of 'very complicated' formatting does your document contain? In
what way do AutoSave and AutoFormatting become nightmarish?

 

[Ads]

Thanks for your time.
There are no tables at all but numerous images.
Alot of the images, all pasted into doc. most have drawing objects and
autoshapes grouped with them.
Styles consist of 3 headings, Numerous bullets and numbering
The formating isn't complicated in itself but plays up as more editing is
done until it all grinds to a stop.
i.e. I could add a bullet or enter or start a new paragraph in page 20 and
suddenly the timer comes up ( which i guess is autoformatting in action) and
when it's done all the tabs and indents of previous bulleting goes aray not
respeting their setting and some are added like a.a.a.a.a.a.a.
or b.b.b.b.b.b
also I have to keep checking the header and footer because suddenly it
grows a few extra lines.
When it starts to grind to a halt with the timmer appearing too often the
size of the file goes from 28mb to 130mb !
I've been working on this file between 2 pcs. Word 2000 at the office and
Word Xp at home. But the problem happens with both.
I have been saving the file regularly by different names so have been able
to go back to last 'good' files to edit all changes. This is wearing me out.
So any help would be really appreciated.
Jen

 

[jen]

Sorry I was on my son Ads' pc when I replied
-----
Thanks for your time.
There are no tables at all but numerous images.
Alot of the images, all pasted into doc. most have drawing objects and
autoshapes grouped with them.
Styles consist of 3 headings, Numerous bullets and numbering
The formating isn't complicated in itself but plays up as more editing is
done until it all grinds to a stop.
i.e. I could add a bullet or enter or start a new paragraph in page 20 and
suddenly the timer comes up ( which i guess is autoformatting in action) and
when it's done all the tabs and indents of previous bulleting goes aray not
respeting their setting and some are added like a.a.a.a.a.a.a.
or b.b.b.b.b.b
also I have to keep checking the header and footer because suddenly it
grows a few extra lines.
When it starts to grind to a halt with the timmer appearing too often the
size of the file goes from 28mb to 130mb !
I've been working on this file between 2 pcs. Word 2000 at the office and
Word Xp at home. But the problem happens with both.
I have been saving the file regularly by different names so have been able
to go back to last 'good' files to edit all changes. This is wearing me out.
So any help would be really appreciated.
Jen

 

[Shauna Kelly]

Hi Jen

I think there are several things going wrong here.

1. First of all, Word has no "AutoSave". The "timer" you are seeing is
probably the AutoRecover mechanism kicking in.
For more information about that, see:
How can I make Word save or back up my document automatically?
http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/General/AutomaticSave.htm


2. Word does not "auto format" your document unless you tell it to using
Format > AutoFormat (and I've never met anyone yet who found that to be
useful, so don't tempt fate by playing with it!).

However, Word does like to think for itself, which is rarely a good
experience for the rest of us. To avoid that, do Tools > AutoCorrect
options. On the AutoFormat As You Type tab, un-tick everything in the "Apply
as you type" and the "Automatically as you type" sections.


3. At Tools > Templates and Add-ins, make sure you have *not* ticked the box
"Automatically Update Document Styles". This may be the cause of some of the
changes in numbering and headings you're experiencing.


4. There is clearly something wrong that's causing the huge changes in file
size. Here is Suzanne Barnhill's classic list of the causes of big files, so
go through each item and make sure your're OK:

1. Fast Saves: Disable this at on the Save tab of Tools | Options.

2. Preview Picture: Clear the check box on the Summary tab of File |
Properties.

3. Versions (File | Versions): Make sure "Automatically save version on
close" is not turned on.

4. Revisions (Tools | Track Changes):
Highlight Changes: Make sure "Highlight changes on screen" is turned on
(or that "Final Showing Markup" is displayed).
Accept/Reject Changes: If "Accept All" or "Reject All" is available then
revisions are present; accept or reject all changes, then turn Track Changes
off.

5. Embedded True Type fonts (Tools | Options | Save); embedding fonts should
be avoided wherever possible.

6. Embedded graphics: When feasible, it is preferable to link the graphics.
That is, when you insert the graphic, click the arrow beside Insert in the
Picture dialog and choose Link to File rather than Insert or Insert and
Link.

7. Embedded objects: These are even worse than ordinary graphics saved with
the document. If you see an { EMBED } code, the graphic is an OLE object.
Unless you need to be able to edit the object in place, unlink it using
Ctrl+Shift+F9.

8. File format: Make sure you are saving as a Word document; in some cases
..rtf (Rich Text Format) files are significantly larger than .doc files.

9. Document corruption: See
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/­AppErrors/CorruptDoc.htm.

I have been saving the file regularly by different names so have been able
to go back to last 'good' files to edit all changes.

Good move! Don't stop doing that.


Hope this helps.

Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word

 

[jen]

Wow! thank you so much for taking the time to help.
I'll follow all your advice. Most of it makes so much sense reading it.
J