Embedded Word files in Word files do not open...

[mgoeckner]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel I have ~1000 pages of class notes that I put together in Word 2004 (and earlier) in which I embedded pictures that I created in a word document. (This was done via the "Insert-Object-Word Document" function.) When I try to open them in Word 2008, I get the spinning wheel of death. Any suggestions? I really need to be able to open them so that I can change things and improve the figures and notes.

I still have both Word 2004 and 2008 on the computer. (As well as XP with 2007 - which also has issue with the documents.)

 

[John McGhie]

Before you can rescue those documents, you need to be able to get them open.

If Word 2004 will open them, Save As and choose .docx format.

If Word 2004 can't open them, either version of Word will open them if you
choose "Enable 'Recover Text from Any File'".

However, if you do that, you will get only the text back, you will lose all
your pictures, unless we can get the file into .docx format.

Hope this helps

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel
I have ~1000 pages of class notes that I put together in Word 2004 (and
earlier) in which I embedded pictures that I created in a word document. (This
was done via the "Insert-Object-Word Document" function.) When I try to open
them in Word 2008, I get the spinning wheel of death. Any suggestions? I
really need to be able to open them so that I can change things and improve
the figures and notes.

I still have both Word 2004 and 2008 on the computer. (As well as XP with
2007 - which also has issue with the documents.)

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

 

[mgoeckner]

Hi John

Thanks for the reply. I CAN open the main document. It is just the embedded files that I can't open.

 

[John McGhie]

Good: we can get you back from there.

But we need much more detail: what is the file type of the embedded files?
Created with what? When? Inserted how?

Take great care, and keep a backup: remember that with computer files, if
you lose it, you lose the lot and it's permanent.

Cheers

Hi John

Thanks for the reply. I CAN open the main document. It is just the embedded
files that I can't open.

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

 

[mgoeckner]

Hi John

The files are embedded word documents inside of the main word document. (Figures that I have created in word that I want the students to think about and visualize. For example a drawing of a car with smoke streams over the top...)

Right now I think that I am just going to let it run for a bit and see if it figures out a way thru the mess. The file is big (~4 MB) - and about 70 pages long. I have it backed up multiple ways.

 

[mgoeckner]

Oh and this is the new one - I have about 7 or 8 for various classes - each about 200 to 300 pages long.

 

[John McGhie]

OK, the problem is not the size of the file: 4MB is "tiny" in the grand
scheme of things. A Word file can up to about 2 GB before it fails, if you
can stand the slowness.

The issue is likely to be the complexity of the code within the file: you
have documents within documents...

Things that will make this issue worse: 1) Tracking changes, 2) Automatic
Numbering, 3) Tables, 4) Different versions of Word, 5) Different file
formats.

If you were to upgrade each of the embedded documents into the latest .docx
format, then save the main file as .docx format, then re-embed the pictures
as .docx, you would produce a more reliable document. It would certainly be
a lot smaller (because .docx is tightly compressed). And it would give less
trouble opening the embedded files because everything would be the same
version.

And keep those backups The problem won't sort itself out, it will
simply continue to get worse with each update to the document until you
can't open the file.

Hope this helps

Hi John

The files are embedded word documents inside of the main word document.
(Figures that I have created in word that I want the students to think about
and visualize. For example a drawing of a car with smoke streams over the
top...)

Right now I think that I am just going to let it run for a bit and see if it
figures out a way thru the mess. The file is big (~4 MB) - and about 70 pages
long. I have it backed up multiple ways.

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

 

[mgoeckner]

I think I have found the issue - it has to do with the drawing tool bar. (That also seems to crash!) I have used a reply you gave to someone else:

"That's normally corrupt preferences:

Try this:

1) If the following files exist, Remove or rename them:

~/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Word Settings (10)

~/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Word Settings (11)

2) User/Library/Preferences/com.Microsoft.Word.plist

3) User/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Office 2008 (the whole folder!)

4) Then Repair Permissions with Disk Utility.

Step 3 is the most important one, but you need to do the others first or it
won't work.

Hope this helps"

I am going through this process now. I'll let you know if it works.

 

[mgoeckner]

Yes! It works and it is MUCH faster!

Thanks for the hints

 

[John McGhie]

Glad you got it sorted

I had not realised that a munged Drawing Toolbar pref could cause slowness:
I thought it always caused a crash. Interesting.

Cheers

Yes! It works and it is MUCH faster!

Thanks for the hints

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!