Office 2003 hangs on Menu commands

[Anne]

Just in the last two weeks - when I am in Word or Excel, if I execute a
command using a toolbar icon, I'm find (copy, save, bold, etc.), but if I
have to access a Menu (File/Save As, Format/Font) that sort of thing, it
hangs - the icon in upper left corner goes blank for a while ("not
responding") but eventually the process will complete. Virus and spyware
scans come up with nothing, I'm update to date on all required Windows and
Office updates...I've run Detect and Repair in both applications, it still
happens. Haven't lost anything yet, but I'm scared...any ideas?

 

[db ´¯`·.. >]

sometimes it is a result
of low virtual memory.

http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/getstarted/pcproblems.mspx

the above link will
explain how to make
the adjustment.

my suggestion is to
use the custom option
for a min/initial = 2 and
for a max = 1152.

you will also see
a recommendation about
the sizes windows has
analyzed on the panel.

and you can use the
recommendations instead
of mine as well.

however you can always
fine tune/tweak the
sizes later,

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[Anne]

My settings are already higher than the max you recommended, and are right
around what this link recommends. So I didn't change anything. Any other
ideas would be welcomed! Thanks,

 

[db ´¯`·.. >]

not really.

i still suspect
the virtual memory
is a probable cause.

however, your office
programs also function
in safemode.

why not give them a test
run in safe mode and let
us know of the results.


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[Anne]

I think I tried that last week...but maybe not. Will give it a try and see
what happens. Thanks.

 

[Anne]

Started in safe mode with networking this morning, and response in Word and
Excel to commands was excellent! Faster than I remember! Outlook loaded
faster too. Assume I can't stay in Safe Mode indefinitely...what do I do
now? Thanks!

 

[db ´¯`·.. >]

the kb below has
describes the steps to
launch office safely in
normal mode.

give this a test run
and let us know

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827706 - User-initiated Office Safe Mode

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[Anne]

Oops - meant to say this link did NOT work...

the kb below has
describes the steps to
launch office safely in
normal mode.

give this a test run
and let us know

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827706 - User-initiated Office Safe Mode

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[Anne]

This link did work...BUT - I did start in safe mode today, and
excel/word/Outlook worked just fine, no hanging. What do I do now? Can't
stay in safe mode forever - can't print, for one thing...thanks,

 

[db ´¯`·.. >]

yeh,
not sure what the deal is
with that kb. i had to use
firefox browser to use
the link after i sent it
to you.

however, word can be started
in a special way in normal mode

boot into normal
mode and let
the desktop load
as usual.

then hold the ctrl
key down and double
click on word icon.

i copied that portion
of the kb below:

User-initiated Office Safe Mode
The following restrictions apply when you start Word in user-initiated Office
Safe Mode: • No templates can be saved.
• The Office Assistant is not automatically displayed.
• Toolbar or command bar customizations are not loaded and customizations
cannot be saved.
• The AutoCorrect list is not loaded and changes are not saved.
• Recovered documents are not automatically opened.
• Smart tags are not loaded and new tags cannot be saved.
• All command line options are ignored except "/a" and "/n".
• Files cannot be saved to the Alternate Startup Directory.
• Preferences cannot be saved.
• Additional features and programs are not automatically loaded.
• Additionally, in Word 2003, documents with restricted permission cannot
be created or opened.
To start Word in user-initiated Office Safe Mode, either use the CTRL key to
initiate Office Safe Mode or start Word at a command prompt.

To use the CTRL key to initiate Office Safe Mode, follow these steps:1. Click
Start, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft Office, and then press CTRL
while you click Microsoft Office Word 2003.

Note For Microsoft Word 2002, click Start, point to All Programs, and then
press CTRL while you click Microsoft Word.

Important Continue to press CTRL while Word is starting.
2. You receive the following message:
Word has detected that you are holding down the CTRL key. Do you want to
start Word in safe mode?
Click Yes.
To start Word at a command prompt, follow these steps: 1. Click Start, and then
click Run.
2. Click Browse.
3. In the Browse dialog box, click the Winword.exe file. By default, the
Winword.exe file is located in the following folder:
Word 2003
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11

Word 2002
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10
4. Click Open.
5. The full path of the Winword.exe file now appears in the Open box.
Click in the Open box, and then move the insertion point to the end of the path
statement.
6. After the closing quotation mark, type a space, and then type /safe.
The full path statement should now appear similar to the following example:
"D:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\Winword.exe" /safe
7. Click OK.

Back to the top


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

APPLIES TO
• Microsoft Office Word 2003
• Microsoft Word 2002 Standard Edition

Back to the top

Keywords: kbhowto kbinfo KB827706

Back to the top


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[Anne]

I'm sorry,maybe my brain is hanging...I follow what you have written here -
but are you saying that I should work in Safe Mode indefinitely? I use it
all day every day, and rely on a lot of the customization...not to mention I
need to print which I was not able to do. I appreciate your taking the
trouble to try to help me out...since it works fine in Safe Mode, how do I
determine what is causing the hanging? Thanks!

 

[db ´¯`·.. >]

it's tricky to explain.

but inside of windows
normal mode, you can
start word with minimal
options - sort of like
a safe mode.

if word functions
perfectly after using
the ctrl key method of
starting it, then we have
something to work with.


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[Anne]

Oh, OK, now I get it. It's safe mode, but not safe mode! I'll give it a
try. Thanks!

 

[Anne]

Back to square one, I think. Tried the ctrl key method (twice, just in case
I messed up the first time), but Word hung on every menu command I
tried....for 30 seconds at least. Does that tell you anything? Thanks!

 

[db ´¯`·.. >]

ok, go into options
in the menu then go
to general tab

there will be some buttons
associated to services, etc.

browse through them and
disable anything the sends,
transmits, links whatever
with the internet.

close and restart word
and provide state.

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[Anne]

Only thing I could find that was still check was "update links on Open" and
"mail as attachment"...unchecked them, closed, waited and then opened again.
Same thing...and it's getting harder and harder to go from Word to Outlook
and vice versa, screens getting all jumbled. Do I need to do this in all
Office applications? thanks,

 

[db ´¯`·.. >]

ok, well lets review.

we know that in safemode
your office works excellent and
we can also assume that windows
is performing extremely better
as well.

this is due to a number of
things because in safemode
many things are eliminated
including third party programs,
drivers, services, etc...

so we can safely say that
the problem you have is
neither resulting from
a corrupted office or
a corrupted windows.

instead the problem you
are experiencing is a result of
configuration. so we have
to be sherlock holmes and
figure out with is going on
with your windows in normal
mode.

to see this in a different perspective,
we can assume that if all your
pc had loaded on it was windows
and office, your system would be
blazing fast. unfortunately, having
only two programs on a pc is never
the case.

so we need to begin the
process of elimination.

firstly, go back to my
first post and set your
virtual memory as i
had suggested.

make sure you have
a min/initial of 2 and
the max to what the dialog
box says. my guess windows
is suggesting to set the
max at approx. 700.

reboot and try normal
mode and office again.

if office is still sluggish
in normal mode use your safemode
in the interim.

sometimes i step away
from the computer and
my responses are not
prompt. "but" i will
respond until we fix
your problem.


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[Anne]

Thanks for hanging with me! I was out all day today so could not respond.
If you think I need to redo the virtual memory, I will...but the instructions
on the panel said to set min at 1.5 times the RAM, expressed in MB, and I
think the max was to be about 3 times. My RAM is 1 GB, and the settings I
found using the instructions were 1500 (I'm rounding) and 3000 MB...which
sounded right to me. If I use the settings you recommend, wouldn't I be
reducing my virtual memory capacity? Sorry to be such a dope about this!
Thanks!

 

[db ´¯`·.. >]

i think my suggestions
will greatly improve
your o.s.

based on the data you
gave me, your virtual
memory is way off
base.

for example: the 1.5
times the size of ram
pertains to the "max"
size of your ram and
not the min/initial.

set the initial to 2 and
max to the suggested
size notated on the virtual
memory panel.

later, if your operating
system needs more virtual
memory "it will let you know"

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[Anne]

OK, I reset the vm this morning to 2 min and 1500 max, and then rebooted.
When system came up again, I got a "windows has recovered from a serious
error" message, and when I did the error report, it took me to a page that
said the problem had to do with antivirus software. Bottom line, I spent
forever online with Verizon (my DSL provider and also Internet security suite
provider), we removed traces of my previous anti-virus software that weren't
removed when I uninstalled, did a diagnostic...when I rebooted after that, i
got swamped with work and have not been able to follow the link to reconnect
me to Verizon as instructed...but everything's still hanging at least as
badly as it was before. Will do the Verizon thing now and report back later
(I hope). Thanks!