List of Glitchy Word Features

[Martha Bowes]

This is my second time trying to post this. My first never showed up in the
newsgroup messages. Anyway, I want to provide my clients with a list of Word
features that are best to avoid because they can cause document problems. My
list so far is below. I am interested in any input.

Master Document (critical!)
Document Map
AutoCorrect: [which of all the features in this dialog are troublesome?]
Fast Saves
Versions
Repeatedly converting a document from one format to another
Storing, accessing, and saving a file from diskette (use the diskette to
travel with a document, but when using it again, store it on a hard drive)
Nested Tables


Thank you in advance, Martha

 

[Jim Gordon]

Hi Martha,

You might be interested in the information at MVPs Word site:
<http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/General/index.htm>

-Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

All responses should be made to this newsgroup within the same thread.
Thanks.

About Microsoft MVPs:
http://www.mvps.org/

Search for help with the free Google search Excel add-in:
<http://www.rondebruin.nl/Google.htm>

 

[Dayo Mitchell]

Hi Martha,

I wouldn't call AutoCorrect/AutoFormat As You Type glitchy, it's great so
long as you know how to use it (or even just know it is there and what it
does). Perhaps do a quick FYI at the bottom of the sheet? But advise them
against the AutoFormat command, I should think (I have everything unchecked
except for Preserve Styles, so just in case I accidentally hit it, it will
do nothing).

Although on second thought AutoFormat As You Type features of bulleted
lists, numbered lists, and define styles based on your formatting, I *think*
people have said can cause problems later. Most of the other things might
just be annoying, but useful to some...

Also converting between formats can sometimes *solve* problems...your sheet
may as well be a basic Word info sheet and include the copy-all-but-last-¶
first-level fix for bad documents? (Kudos to you for your attempt to get
more people using Word correctly).

Perhaps others will chime in, as I too would be interested in the answers.
I think you have hit the major ones that I have seen advised against--but
look also at Suzanne Barnhill's reasons for excessive file size on one of
the PC groups to see if anything else is mentioned.

Dayo

 

[Clive Huggan]

A good start, Martha!

If you download my notes on the way I use Word, called "Bend Word to your
Will", at www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/WordMac/Bend/BendWord.htm, and do a Find
command for "corrup", you should see some useful material. Also, there are
some factors worth considering at the end of appendix A.

-- Clive Huggan
* Please post all comments to the newsgroup for the benefit of others who
may be interested.
* Remove "the" from my address above if you need to send an e-mail to me
directly (although that would be exceptional). Please note that e-mails
with an attachment will be automatically rejected.
* If anyone is still reading down this far, here's a question: is it time
for you to back up your Normal template and all your Word settings? (This
should be on a medium other than the internal hard drive and, to protect
against theft and fire, stored in a different building.)
============================================================

 

[John McGhie [MVP]]

Hi Martha:

(Sorry about the server, we have been having major problems with this stupid
virus: it's been hammering the server farm at well over 100 a second...)

You've found the main ones! I would add these:

* Ensure all paragraph numbering is defined as part of a style. Do not use
directly-applied numbering. To apply numbering, apply a numbered style.

* Avoid Format Painter. It creates very complicated formatting which often
corrupts. If you want to format a document, use styles and apply the styles
to the text, not paint them with format painter...

* Avoid HTML format in Mac Word below Mac Word 11 (which has not been
released yet...)

* Change your diskette instruction to say "Never access or save to diskette
from Word: copy to and from using Finder."

* AutoCorrect is a seriously GREAT tool, but inexperienced users should
turn off everything except Allow Smart Quotes. Make a mental note to teach
your users how to use AutoCorrect properly.

* AutoFormat is word-salad waiting to happen. Use it only for re-wrapping
emails.

* Templates should normally be attached with "Automatically Update Styles
on Open" enabled, UNLESS the document contains paragraph numbering. When
this feature is enabled, the styles in the document are automatically
updated to match the latest in the template each time the document is
opened. But if the styles contain numbering, all the numbering will be
reset when this happens.

* Treat the paragraph mark either side of a table or section break with
great respect. Word should not allow you to delete one, and users should
not try to force it: a corrupt document is likely.

* When using cross-references, enable the display of bookmarks. Otherwise
when editing the user will munge the bookmarks and end up with several pages
of text where they intended to have "see doing this in chapter 3".

* Users should ensure that Preferences>Save>Always make backup is ON (so
they have something to go back to when they have an 'oops' and that Save
AutoRecover every .... Minutes is set to something other than 0 (so Word can
recover their document if it crashes).

* Users must ensure that the language of their Operating System, Normal
Template, and Document Text all match, and that the spelling dictionary for
that language is actually installed. Otherwise their spelling will be
disabled.

Hope this helps

This is my second time trying to post this. My first never showed up in the
newsgroup messages. Anyway, I want to provide my clients with a list of Word
features that are best to avoid because they can cause document problems. My
list so far is below. I am interested in any input.

Master Document (critical!)
Document Map
AutoCorrect: [which of all the features in this dialog are troublesome?]
Fast Saves
Versions
Repeatedly converting a document from one format to another
Storing, accessing, and saving a file from diskette (use the diskette to
travel with a document, but when using it again, store it on a hard drive)
Nested Tables


Thank you in advance, Martha

--
All Spam and attachments blocked by Microsoft Entourage for Mac OS X. Please
post replies to the newsgroup to maintain the thread.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP: Word for Macintosh and Word for Windows
Consultant Technical Writer <[email protected]>
+61 4 1209 1410; Sydney, Australia: GMT + 10 hrs

 

[Clive Huggan]

Martha,

Further to Dayo's excellent advice: Two of the articles Suzanne recommends
frequently are:

http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/AppErrors/CorruptDoc.htm

http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/General/WhyMasterDocsCorrupt.htm

For more, you could do a newsgroup search on Google for
microsoft.public.word.formatting.longdocs
plus "Barnhill" as author, plus the terms you want.

-- Clive Huggan
* Please post all comments to the newsgroup for the benefit of others who
may be interested.
* Remove "the" from my address above if you need to send an e-mail to me
directly (although that would be exceptional). Please note that e-mails
with an attachment will be automatically rejected.
* If anyone is still reading down this far, here's a question: is it time
for you to back up your Normal template and all your Word settings? (This
should be on a medium other than the internal hard drive and, if you want to
protect against theft and fire, stored in a different building.)
============================================================


Mitchell at (e-mail address removed) wrote on 1/10/03 1:41
PM:

Hi Martha,

...-- but look also at Suzanne Barnhill's reasons for excessive file size on
one of the PC groups to see if anything else is mentioned.

Dayo

This is my second time trying to post this. My first never showed up in the
newsgroup messages. Anyway, I want to provide my clients with a list of Word
features that are best to avoid because they can cause document problems. My
list so far is below. I am interested in any input.

Master Document (critical!)
Document Map
AutoCorrect: [which of all the features in this dialog are troublesome?]
Fast Saves
Versions
Repeatedly converting a document from one format to another
Storing, accessing, and saving a file from diskette (use the diskette to
travel with a document, but when using it again, store it on a hard drive)
Nested Tables


Thank you in advance, Martha

 

[Elliott Roper]

Here is one for Martha's list

Track changes gets attributions confused when tracking between Windows
and Mac.

It deals up the wrong colours for who edited what.
It will refuse to merge edits after discovering an untracked change
that isn't there.

I have given up entirely on track changes. Each editor chooses a colour
and the document owner merges by hand on completion.

 

[Dayo Mitchell]

Sorry, Clive. I wouldn't have given such an apparently unhelpful elliptic
answer if I didn't know I had seen Martha posting over there--but next time
I'll make that more clear.

Dayo

Martha,

Further to Dayo's excellent advice: Two of the articles Suzanne recommends
frequently are:

http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/AppErrors/CorruptDoc.htm

http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/General/WhyMasterDocsCorrupt.htm

For more, you could do a newsgroup search on Google for
microsoft.public.word.formatting.longdocs
plus "Barnhill" as author, plus the terms you want.

-- Clive Huggan
* Please post all comments to the newsgroup for the benefit of others who
may be interested.
* Remove "the" from my address above if you need to send an e-mail to me
directly (although that would be exceptional). Please note that e-mails
with an attachment will be automatically rejected.
* If anyone is still reading down this far, here's a question: is it time
for you to back up your Normal template and all your Word settings? (This
should be on a medium other than the internal hard drive and, if you want to
protect against theft and fire, stored in a different building.)
============================================================


Mitchell at (e-mail address removed) wrote on 1/10/03 1:41
PM:

Hi Martha,

...-- but look also at Suzanne Barnhill's reasons for excessive file size on
one of the PC groups to see if anything else is mentioned.

Dayo

This is my second time trying to post this. My first never showed up in the
newsgroup messages. Anyway, I want to provide my clients with a list of Word
features that are best to avoid because they can cause document problems. My
list so far is below. I am interested in any input.

Master Document (critical!)
Document Map
AutoCorrect: [which of all the features in this dialog are troublesome?]
Fast Saves
Versions
Repeatedly converting a document from one format to another
Storing, accessing, and saving a file from diskette (use the diskette to
travel with a document, but when using it again, store it on a hard drive)
Nested Tables


Thank you in advance, Martha