Troubleshooting problems in Word 2002

[Groucho]

I am having terrible problems that started about 6 weeks ago on Word 2002
w/SP-3 that came with Office XP small business.

I’m running Windows XP Home w/SP-2 & keep this updated regularly.
Have I installed any new software lately?
The answer would be: Kaspersky Internet Suite 6.0 that worked problem free
for months.

When I try to create a document the hourglass starts its thing and I’m
stalled.
Sometimes (if I’m having a patient day) it could do this for as long as 15
minutes.

I get an occasional error message from Microsoft stating: “Consider an
upgrade.â€

If I hit Control > S, it might recover it upon reboot: might NOT.

I surely would like to purchase Office Standard 2007, but I can’t afford to
purchase a $200+ software item & STILL have the same problems.

So: I guess the topic would be, How to troubleshoot problems in Word 2002.

Steps I have taken:
A repair from tools in the program
A repair from control panel > add/remove > repair (and the most frustrating)
Studied this Microsoft article at this URL:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322743

Steps I have NOT taken:
Trying the program in safe mode; primarily because I doubt if that finds the
Root of this issue.
If I am mistaken: please correct me and suggest a mode to get into.


When I get to page 3 of 10, the Support Template resides on my desktop, but
when I open it: NOTHING HAPPENS!

I have got to get to the root of this problem, or I can’t conduct business,
much less the wasted time and aggravation.

If buying Office Standard 2007 IS the solution, I suppose I’d reluctantly
try that.
However: I am typing this on a Dell laptop that’s 5 years old and it is
problem FREE.

I “surrender†on surfing Microsoft’s site, and refuse to pay $49 for a tech
phone call, since that represents 25% of the new software!

This is also crippling Outlook, since Word is my editor.

Any advice or suggestions on how to FIX Word on my primary desktop would be
much appreciated. This is wearing me OUT.

Groucho

 

[Terry Farrell]

Follow the troubleshooting tips here and it will probably find the bug: but
my first thought would be a corrupt printer driver.

See http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/ProbsOpeningWord.htm

 

[Groucho]

Terry, Thanks for the prompt reply; Much appreciated sir.

My IT department is "yours truly"; therefore I am stuck with a semi
competent IT guy
d

I don't have networked printers and only 3) computers.
I checked with HP to see if my driver for my deskjet 5650 was the latest,
and it is indeed.

My other 2) machines use seperate printers and are Word problem free.

Any other suggestions, Please?

I visit virtualdr.com (a computer help site) regularly.
The MS certified (?)moderators over there suggested trying to duplicate the
error in safe mode, but I don't think that will find out WHY this is
happening on my primary desktop, and not the laptops.

I think that MS article I mentioned in my1st post WILL find the conflicting
program or hardware.
I just can't get that Support Template to work.

I'm open minded and willing to try most anything, the exception being
throwing a bunch of $$ at a problem and STILL not reaching a solution.

Thanks again, Terry.

Groucho
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Terry Farrell]

Did you follow all the steps in the FAQ? Did you delete and reinstall the
printer? Did you rename normal.dot? Did you start Word in Safe Mode using
the /a switch to see if it worked. Did you anything in the FAQ?

Terry

 

[Groucho]

Yes Terry, I did some but not all. Sorry for not following full instructions.

Today I:
Deleted and reinstalled the printer and drivers.
Checked for template corruption and there were evidently some problems
there, because I ended up with two in a search.

Deleted the older one with the ~ in front of it.

I don't use Symantec products any longer, so that's not an issue.
I've had a HD format since I took those off & installed Kaspersky Internet
Suite 6.0.

Let me get some "miles" on this and see if that fixed it: ok?

If you think I stopped prematurely, just say so.

Thanks for your time, Terry.

Groucho, aka Steve
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

FWIW, any Word file beginning with ~ is a temp file, so that's not what you
need to delete. You need to *rename* the copy of Normal.dot that is in the
folder specified for "User templates" on the File Locations tab of Tools |
Options. The other template issue is add-ins--anything in Word's Startup
folder or the Office Startup folder, plus any COM add-ins that you can
detect with the COM Add-ins... command.

 

[Terry Farrell]

Have you had Norton Anti Virus installed previously? I ask because it
doesn't completely uninstall correctly and may be the problem.

Terry

 

[Groucho]

To Suzanne; Thanks for joining this event btw. You hit a doozy.
I did a search and found 2) Normal's again.
This time I did not delete the 2nd one & I renamed Normal to -> Normal old
per Terry's article.

And to Terry: The are no Symantec products on this drive: period.
It's a shame, but they have turned to junk.
I have gone so far as buy a new HD and Symatec products are NOT anywhere.

In case I didnt state this before: I have been thru most of the steps in
that article again:
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/ProbsOpeningWord.htm#TemplateCorruption

I've been into regedit, navigated to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Word\Options\, and NO Start
Up exists in the registry. (That I can find)

As I spent 35 minutes with one reply, and tried to enter, I got another
error message from Kaspersky and lost everything.

I can share this as well: when I found Normal.dot (the latest one I renamed
and not the temporary one), a Word window opens, flashing, and I am UNABLE to
close it.
Had to reboot manually.

Also: as far as finding the correct "Path", I THINK (?) it is:
C:\Documents and Settings\Client\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates

I am also wondering if we are getting SO involved in fixing Word 2002 that
we are getting away from the original topic: WHAT IS causing this, IF I get
fixed.

I am EXTREMELY Grateful for the assistance, so please don't take that
statement any other way than it was intended.

Steve, aka Groucho
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Well, one little correction: you're not supposed to be looking for a Startup
folder in the Registry but on your HD. The default Startup path for Word is
C:\Documents and Settings\<Profile Name>\Application
Data\Microsoft\Word\Startup. The Office Startup folder will be in a similar
location. As for other add-ins, see
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/CheckIfAddinsInstalled.htm.

Also, you will note that Terry didn't ask if there were any Symantec
products installed but whether there ever had been. It sounds as if the
answer is no, but if there ever had been, then there is a way to get rid of
the last vestiges.

 

[Groucho]

Well, yes.
At one time I did in fact have NSW 2006 installed if that is of any help.

I have a Brand New Western Digital Raptor on this machine, and as far as I
know the are no Symanted products on there now.

Anf if you are referring to the Norton Removal tool at this URL:
http://service1.symantec.com/Support/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005033108162039

I already am aware of that.

I'm about ready to just wipe 2002 OUT of this, reinstall it, and if that
doesn't work: I'll bite the bullet & purchase Office Standard 2007 and put it
on.

Your opinion, or Terry's *Please*?

If I lose all my emails, (even though I think so when that happens) the
world will keep spinning: I'm sure.

Thanks for the patience and tolerance!
Good characteristics for anyone!

Steve

 

[Terry Farrell]

I would not recommend installing Office 2007 in order to resolve a serious
issue with Office 2002 as I fear a high probability the problem would not be
resolved.

If NAV has been installed on this machine, then there is a good chance that
one of the dlls wasn't removed and needs deregistering from Windows. You
need to copy and paste the following line into the Run command and press
enter to execute.

regsvr32 /u "c:\program files\norton antivirus\officeav.dll"

Terry

 

[Groucho]

Terry, Suzanne and everyone else who was *kind* enough to assist me with
this: I have surrendered and took it to to local 'puter repair shop.

After reading all the "HELP!!" messages on version 2007: I am REALLY glad I
am (hopefully) getting this 2002 version working and repaired successfully.

For the benefit on this Community: I will post back on what happened.

These guys must be going to the same "training" as car mechanics.
When I inquired on Tuedsay: it was a 2 day turn around time.
Once I took it in on Wednesday, it turned into: "Sometime next week".
Oh Well?
I choose not to get into any arguments with anyone who physically has my
"Baby".
My 3rd build and my best to date.

Steve, aka Groucho
~~~~~~~~~~~~~