How big can a WORD file get?

[Woody]

How big can I let my WORD file get and not be concerned about corruption and
or other issues? That is, I have an index that I keep in WORD. In it I
tell myself where everthing is that I need to know, where this or that
document is etc. It does not contain graphics, but does contain a lot of
links to other files. Right now the size is 1,263 kb. I have a Pentium 4
with lots of ram and so it loads pretty quickly and I don't have any
particular problems right now, but I wonder about the future. What if the
file were to double? Would that be a problem? Is this just generally a
file size that WORD is not designed to handle?

If this is the case, I need to know about it now so I can make inteligent
adjustments. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

The absolute limit on file size in Word is 32 MB, but that's for text only,
not counting any graphics (linked or embedded). For some tips on keeping
file size down, be aware that there are a number of reasons for excessive
file size, including:

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.

 

[Woody]

Thanks for responding Suzanne:

I'm not looking for tips on how to reduce file size. The file is working
about as efficiently as it can right now. My question has to do with
whether or not I can double or even tripple or even quadruple my current
file size without noticible problems. My current file size is 1,263 kb.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

The tips were meant as suggestions for maintaining a manageable file size.
If you have no graphics in your document, it's worth checking whether any of
these other factors are relevant. Word has reportedly been used to create
documents up to 10,000 pages of text, but this does require sensible
management.

Reducing complexity helps, and one tremendous way to reduce complexity is to
apply formatting using styles rather than directly. Avoid extremely long
tables, especially tables with single rows extending over more than one
page.

Work in Normal view as much as possible; you may want to disable
repagination as well.

If your computer is underpowered, be aware that more RAM will help more than
anything and more HD space secondarily; processor speed is less significant.

 

[John McGhie [MVP - Word and Word Macintosh]]

Yes

Things will start to slow down a bit when your current file gets to 20 times
its current size...

Thanks for responding Suzanne:

I'm not looking for tips on how to reduce file size. The file is working
about as efficiently as it can right now. My question has to do with
whether or not I can double or even tripple or even quadruple my current
file size without noticible problems. My current file size is 1,263 kb.

--

Please reply to the newsgroup to maintain the thread. Please do not email
me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie <[email protected]>
Microsoft MVP, Word and Word for Macintosh. Consultant Technical Writer
Sydney, Australia +61 (0) 4 1209 1410