massive document - help please!!!

[Lynn]

I have been given an elderly gentleman's biography that is written in Word
2003. It contains text and photographs and is 159 pages/547 MB! When I open
the document it looks fine but will not allow me to edit or save - the
toolbar goes grey. I am also using Word 2003 and trying to copy and paste it
into smaller documents, so I can edit, save and print. I have managed to copy
a small amount of text into another page but get the same greyed out toolbar
problem in that document. If I click text only in the paste options the text
disappears altogether. I have tried deleting the photographs but as the
toolbar greys out I can do nothing with it. It was saved as read only but I
have changed that in properties. Please help - I cannot face typing 159 pages
and it would be a shame to lose the document.

 

[JoAnn Paules]

Can you edit or save other documents?

 

[Lynn]

yes - no problem with any other documents - have tried on a different
computer and get same problem there with the biography.
Lynn

Can you edit or save other documents?

--

JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]
Tech Editor for "Microsoft Publisher 2007 For Dummies"

I have been given an elderly gentleman's biography that is written in Word
2003. It contains text and photographs and is 159 pages/547 MB! When I
open
the document it looks fine but will not allow me to edit or save - the
toolbar goes grey. I am also using Word 2003 and trying to copy and paste
it
into smaller documents, so I can edit, save and print. I have managed to
copy
a small amount of text into another page but get the same greyed out
toolbar
problem in that document. If I click text only in the paste options the
text
disappears altogether. I have tried deleting the photographs but as the
toolbar greys out I can do nothing with it. It was saved as read only but
I
have changed that in properties. Please help - I cannot face typing 159
pages
and it would be a shame to lose the document.

 

[DeanH]

One thing that may help quickly is to Open a new blank file; Insert, File.
Come back if this does not work, there can be other solutions.
Hope this helps
DeanH

yes - no problem with any other documents - have tried on a different
computer and get same problem there with the biography.
Lynn

Can you edit or save other documents?

--

JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]
Tech Editor for "Microsoft Publisher 2007 For Dummies"

I have been given an elderly gentleman's biography that is written in Word
2003. It contains text and photographs and is 159 pages/547 MB! When I
open
the document it looks fine but will not allow me to edit or save - the
toolbar goes grey. I am also using Word 2003 and trying to copy and paste
it
into smaller documents, so I can edit, save and print. I have managed to
copy
a small amount of text into another page but get the same greyed out
toolbar
problem in that document. If I click text only in the paste options the
text
disappears altogether. I have tried deleting the photographs but as the
toolbar greys out I can do nothing with it. It was saved as read only but
I
have changed that in properties. Please help - I cannot face typing 159
pages
and it would be a shame to lose the document.

 

[JoAnn Paules]

Try saving the document as an .html file with a different name (just in case
this doesn't work). Open that .html file in Word and save it as a .doc file
again. Does the file size change? Does this make a difference?

--

JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]
Tech Editor for "Microsoft Publisher 2007 For Dummies"

yes - no problem with any other documents - have tried on a different
computer and get same problem there with the biography.
Lynn

Can you edit or save other documents?

--

JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]
Tech Editor for "Microsoft Publisher 2007 For Dummies"

I have been given an elderly gentleman's biography that is written in
Word
2003. It contains text and photographs and is 159 pages/547 MB! When I
open
the document it looks fine but will not allow me to edit or save - the
toolbar goes grey. I am also using Word 2003 and trying to copy and
paste
it
into smaller documents, so I can edit, save and print. I have managed
to
copy
a small amount of text into another page but get the same greyed out
toolbar
problem in that document. If I click text only in the paste options the
text
disappears altogether. I have tried deleting the photographs but as the
toolbar greys out I can do nothing with it. It was saved as read only
but
I
have changed that in properties. Please help - I cannot face typing 159
pages
and it would be a shame to lose the document.

 

[PamC]

Because you say you can't edit the file, it sounds like the document might
have been made read only through Word's document protect feature (and not
Windows). Go to Tools > Protect Document (I don't have 2003 available to
check the steps, so bear with me). At the bottom of the panel that will
appear on the right is a stop protection button. If there's no password, you
should be home free. If the password dialog comes up, you'll have to ask
your client for the password.

Good luck,
PamC