Tables becoming corrupt in short documents

[joelgee]

I'm documenting software and creating job aids. I'm creating these job aids
in tables, usually not more than five or six pages long.
I've been working with these tables for more than a year, editing, changing,
formatting, merging cells, splitting cells, inserting graphics.
After a year of mucking about with these documents, four of them (out of
more than 50) just recently began getting corrupt.
When I open them, I get the corrupted table message.
One of the things I'm doing is linking these documents to a master index
which is to be put online and incorporated into the software for which I'm
training.
I've done this before--in February-- with no problems.
Can I be confusing Word with all the changes?
Why these four docs and not the others? I don't know what's different about
them.
BTW: Office 2003.
I'd really like any ideas. I don't know if any more tables are going to go
wonky on me.
HELP!!!

 

[Anne Troy]

Wonky. Good word.
Save the files as RTF, close, reopen, re-save to DOC. That usually gets rid
of table problems.
See for reference:
http://www.officearticles.com/word/avoid_document_corruption_and_bloating_in_microsoft_word.htm
and
http://www.officearticles.com/word/recover_a_corrupt_microsoft_word_document.htm
************
Anne Troy
www.OfficeArticles.com

 

[joelgee]

Anne--
Thanks. I tried it. I got the message that I didn't have enough memory or
disc space to save the picture so now I'm really confused. No big pictures.
Plenty of disc space.
I don't even know which picture the message refers to, if you'll forgive me
for ending a sentence with a preposition.

 

[Anne Troy]

Wow. Weird. Maybe your hard drive needs a clean up? You know... yukky temp
files can cause issues, too. I'm certainly will to take a look at your doc
if you don't have another PC to try it on. Here's how to clean up your hard
drive:

http://www.officearticles.com/misc/how_to_clean_up_your_hard_drive.htm

************
Anne Troy
www.OfficeArticles.com

 

[joelgee]

I would love for somebody to take a look at one of these things. I could
provide you with the wonky version and a good version that I brought down
from the intranet of the company I'm doing the work for.
Sadly, no one I'm working with seems to know more about Word than I do.
Just when I thought I had a clue . . .
How would I post a before and after doc would be my question.
Joel.
If I didn't say thanks before, thanks a lot.

 

[Anne Troy]

No problem. If you hit Reply, you should see my email address. Alternatively
(and better) is to go to www.officearticles.com/forums and register (don't
worry--it's only me and I don't give out email addresses!). Then, you can
zip your files, and upload them as attachments to your question. I'll be
watching for it.
************
Anne Troy
www.OfficeArticles.com