Problems starting Word

[Steve Hodgson]

I have just noticed that I am unable to start Word 2004 from scratch
i.e. open word and then select a template. When I do so the application
crashes each time. Excel and Powerpoint are fine as is opening an
existing file and then creating a new file via File|New. It only
appears to occur with the project gallery.

I'm not too worried as I have Office 2008 arriving next week but would
like to fix it if possible.
--
Cheers,

Steve

The reply-to email address is a spam trap.
Email steve 'at' shodgson 'dot' org 'dot' uk

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Steve:

I think you may need to fix that one before installing Word 2008, otherwise
Word 2008 will import the bad setting and it may become unwell too

I suspect you have a bad preference in there somewhere. If it were your
Normal template, it would crash every time.

I suggest that you work your way through the process you find here:
http://word.mvps.org/Mac/TroubleshootingIndex.html

One of those fixes will get it, but I can't say which one.

Cheers

I have just noticed that I am unable to start Word 2004 from scratch
i.e. open word and then select a template. When I do so the application
crashes each time. Excel and Powerpoint are fine as is opening an
existing file and then creating a new file via File|New. It only
appears to occur with the project gallery.

I'm not too worried as I have Office 2008 arriving next week but would
like to fix it if possible.

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
http://jgmcghie.fastmail.com.au/
Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory, Australia
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[Steve Hodgson]

I was thinking about this and actually thought it might be better to
completely uninstall Office 2004 prior to installing 2008. My thinking
is that I have probably built up some considerable cruft from two
previous versions of Office and also that this version of Office
represents such a big break from previous generations (things like no
VB) that it would be good to take away anything that stresses the
backwards-compatibility.

What do you think?

Cheers,

Steve

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Steve:

I would NOT do that, for two reasons:

1) Office 2004 has features that Office 2008 does NOT, so you will need
both installed to work properly.

2) Uninstalling Office 2004 does not delete the Normal template, so Word
2008 will pick up the cruft anyway.

If you want to prevent cross-pollination, find and re-name your Normal
template, then move it to the desktop before installing Word 2008. You can
put it back later

Note: You need to both re-name and move it, because Word 2008 will search
for it if it cannot find it. Word 2008 imports all the settings it can from
the existing Normal template. This can lead to some very weird issues if
you have keystrokes redirected to macros

Hope this helps

I was thinking about this and actually thought it might be better to
completely uninstall Office 2004 prior to installing 2008. My thinking
is that I have probably built up some considerable cruft from two
previous versions of Office and also that this version of Office
represents such a big break from previous generations (things like no
VB) that it would be good to take away anything that stresses the
backwards-compatibility.

What do you think?

Cheers,

Steve

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
http://jgmcghie.fastmail.com.au/
Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory, Australia
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[CyberTaz]

By no means would I presume to speak for John but just to further clarify
his point [1)]... I know I kinda blinked when I read it the first time%>)

Don't get the impression that 2008 won't *work properly * if you don't have
2004 installed - I believe he means *you* won't be able to work properly
unless you have both at hand

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[John McGhie]

Absolutely correct: Thank you Bob for the translation

Yes, Word 2008 will do things that Word 2004 will not, and vice-versa.

Each product will work perfectly without the other. But the user will have
some problems

Cheers

By no means would I presume to speak for John but just to further clarify
his point [1)]... I know I kinda blinked when I read it the first time%>)

Don't get the impression that 2008 won't *work properly * if you don't have
2004 installed - I believe he means *you* won't be able to work properly
unless you have both at hand

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

Hi Steve:

I would NOT do that, for two reasons:

1) Office 2004 has features that Office 2008 does NOT, so you will need
both installed to work properly.

2) Uninstalling Office 2004 does not delete the Normal template, so Word
2008 will pick up the cruft anyway.

If you want to prevent cross-pollination, find and re-name your Normal
template, then move it to the desktop before installing Word 2008. You can
put it back later

Note: You need to both re-name and move it, because Word 2008 will search
for it if it cannot find it. Word 2008 imports all the settings it can from
the existing Normal template. This can lead to some very weird issues if
you have keystrokes redirected to macros

Hope this helps

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
http://jgmcghie.fastmail.com.au/
Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory, Australia
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[Steve Hodgson]

Yes, Word 2008 will do things that Word 2004 will not, and vice-versa.

What areas are you aware of?
--
Cheers,

Steve

The reply-to email address is a spam trap.
Email steve 'at' shodgson 'dot' org 'dot' uk

 

[Steve Hodgson]

Removing Normal.dot cleared the problem.

Cheers,

Steve

I think you may need to fix that one before installing Word 2008, otherwise
Word 2008 will import the bad setting and it may become unwell too

I suspect you have a bad preference in there somewhere. If it were your
Normal template, it would crash every time.

I suggest that you work your way through the process you find here:
http://word.mvps.org/Mac/TroubleshootingIndex.html

One of those fixes will get it, but I can't say which one.

--
Cheers,

Steve

The reply-to email address is a spam trap.
Email steve 'at' shodgson 'dot' org 'dot' uk

 

[CyberTaz]

Well, first & foremost, 2008 will not support VBA - period, so any doc or
templates you come across which rely on macros for functionality or
automation simply will not work as intended... It will open the files, but
the macros will be discarded or ignored (your choice).

On the other side of the fence 2004 doesn't have the ability to work with
the new .docx file format unless you have filters/converters for doing so,
and certain aspects of the file could be problematic even with the
converters. IOW, 2008 will be more directly compatible with Office 2007
files as well as those from other users of 2008 since it uses the same
XML-based file formats.

Many of the other differences we aren't at liberty to discuss as the 2008
product has not been officially released - so even those who might know
can't say. Further, some differences may very well be more significant to
certain users than others, and what one perceives as a negative another may
welcome as a positive... That's why John suggest that you not remove - or
at least not discard - 2004 until you've had a chance to compare for
yourself based on your needs & preferences

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac