Trying to see Readability Statistics makes Word crash every time

[hgws]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

Hi all,

Just looking for some input on this apparent bug which I have encountered ever since I have been using Office 2008.

I don't have spelling & grammar displayed inline as I find that distracting. I prefer to run it manually. I will frequently (or used to!) check grammar as well as spelling as I find that it can be a useful tool, even if I don't always follow the suggestions.

However, in 2008, it seems that whenever I run a manual spelling & grammar check, Word will crash. I have managed to work out that this only occurs when I have "Display readability statistics" set, After I am informed that the spelling & grammar check is complete, there is a pause (when the statistics would normally pop up) & then a crash. (Quite annoying as all the corrections made during the spell check are lost.)

I only really use the stats for my own amusement, & having located the source of the bug I am now able to resume my manual spelling & grammar checks which are much more important. However I'm just wondering if this is a "known bug" or something wrong with my particular system? I have sent the crash report to Microsoft every single time since March or so...

cheers
Henry.

 

[CyberTaz]

Hello Henry -

I doubt that it's a "known bug" - it doesn't occur on either of my systems
nor have I seen anything other than isolated reports of *similar* issues.

Is Office fully updated? Current build is 12.1.2, so if you aren't at that
level run Help> Check for Updates (you may have to apply preceding updates
first). Regardless of whether you have to apply any updates run Disk Utility
- Repair Disk Permissions [or equivalent]. If that doesn't resolve the
problem reply with your results to see where to go next. Also...

Is this happening with *all* documents or just one in particular? Are there
any other anomalies - even if they don't seem related?

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

 

[hgws]

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the quick response.

I have just done some more testing myself & I have to retract "every time" - there are some documents that will display readability stats successfully. I also found another anomaly - with grammar set to "Standard" the stats do not appear, but Word does not crash either.

Most documents I create in Word (i.e. the ones causing the crash) have the following characteristics:

- grammar set to Technical
- Citation Manager used

The ones that are working successfully (though my testing isn't exhaustive by any means) are short & simple documents.

I have this problem with the same documents on both my iMac & MacBook (both Intels running Leopard), since (from memory) I started using Office 2008. I am running all latest OS & Office builds. I have also repaired preferences on both Macs several times.

cheers
Henry.

 

[hople]

This bug may not be known to Microsoft, but it certainly is known. I have
exactly the same problem. I do an awful lot of document writing, often very
long docs. I cannot live without a spell check, and sure enough just when I
get to the end, Word crashes, I lose my spell check, and I have to start all
over again, just to have the problem repeat. I have found that as I get
closer to the end of the document, I exit from the spell check, hit save,
than resume the spell check. At lease I dont lose the whole thing. Then I
just repeat this over and over until it decides not to punish me.

And I paid money for this.

Hello Henry -

I doubt that it's a "known bug" - it doesn't occur on either of my systems
nor have I seen anything other than isolated reports of *similar* issues.

Is Office fully updated? Current build is 12.1.2, so if you aren't at that
level run Help> Check for Updates (you may have to apply preceding updates
first). Regardless of whether you have to apply any updates run Disk Utility
- Repair Disk Permissions [or equivalent]. If that doesn't resolve the
problem reply with your results to see where to go next. Also...

Is this happening with *all* documents or just one in particular? Are there
any other anomalies - even if they don't seem related?

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

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

Hi all,

Just looking for some input on this apparent bug which I have encountered ever
since I have been using Office 2008.

I don't have spelling & grammar displayed inline as I find that distracting. I
prefer to run it manually. I will frequently (or used to!) check grammar as
well as spelling as I find that it can be a useful tool, even if I don't
always follow the suggestions.

However, in 2008, it seems that whenever I run a manual spelling & grammar
check, Word will crash. I have managed to work out that this only occurs when
I have "Display readability statistics" set, After I am informed that the
spelling & grammar check is complete, there is a pause (when the statistics
would normally pop up) & then a crash. (Quite annoying as all the corrections
made during the spell check are lost.)

I only really use the stats for my own amusement, & having located the source
of the bug I am now able to resume my manual spelling & grammar checks which
are much more important. However I'm just wondering if this is a "known bug"
or something wrong with my particular system? I have sent the crash report to
Microsoft every single time since March or so...

cheers
Henry.

 

[CyberTaz]

Hello Hople;

I'm not discounting or refuting what you're reporting, only stating what
happens here in Word 12.1.3, OS X 10.5.5:

Document = 405 pages
# of words = 280,080
# of spelling errors = 500+ in one test, 32,000+ in another
Readability Statistics = On

In neither case did the program crash, hang, or otherwise misbehave during
the Spell Check, the Readability Report, or on Save afterward. Nor have I
had any such problem with similar documents in the past [comparable in
length but considerably fewer errors]. Combined with the minimal number of
reports of the problem this can hardly be considered a bug, but arguing
semantics won't resolve your problem. It does suggest, at least, that the
cause may be local to your system.

You might try the troubleshooting tips on the topic: [Unexpected quit while
in use] offered on the page linked to below;

http://word.mvps.org/mac/Diagnose.html

If you continue to have a problem please start a New Message & include specs
of your Mac, exact Office/OS X version numbers, descriptive information
about the document content & structure, as well as whether it's just the one
document or *all* documents with which you're having the problem. Your
Spelling & Grammar Preferences settings may also be helpful. Any & all
details are important. Someone should be able to help you get it righted.

Interim Suggestion: Rather than the "workaround" you're using you might try
selecting one portion of the document at a time & running the spell check on
it, saving after each one. Doing so may also help determine what might be
causing the crash & where it it is. If it's happening consistently in the
same part of the doc it could very well be a corruption issue.

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

This bug may not be known to Microsoft, but it certainly is known. I have
exactly the same problem. I do an awful lot of document writing, often very
long docs. I cannot live without a spell check, and sure enough just when I
get to the end, Word crashes, I lose my spell check, and I have to start all
over again, just to have the problem repeat. I have found that as I get
closer to the end of the document, I exit from the spell check, hit save,
than resume the spell check. At lease I dont lose the whole thing. Then I
just repeat this over and over until it decides not to punish me.

And I paid money for this.

Hello Henry -

I doubt that it's a "known bug" - it doesn't occur on either of my systems
nor have I seen anything other than isolated reports of *similar* issues.

Is Office fully updated? Current build is 12.1.2, so if you aren't at that
level run Help> Check for Updates (you may have to apply preceding updates
first). Regardless of whether you have to apply any updates run Disk Utility
- Repair Disk Permissions [or equivalent]. If that doesn't resolve the
problem reply with your results to see where to go next. Also...

Is this happening with *all* documents or just one in particular? Are there
any other anomalies - even if they don't seem related?

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

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

Hi all,

Just looking for some input on this apparent bug which I have encountered
ever
since I have been using Office 2008.

I don't have spelling & grammar displayed inline as I find that distracting.
I
prefer to run it manually. I will frequently (or used to!) check grammar as
well as spelling as I find that it can be a useful tool, even if I don't
always follow the suggestions.

However, in 2008, it seems that whenever I run a manual spelling & grammar
check, Word will crash. I have managed to work out that this only occurs
when
I have "Display readability statistics" set, After I am informed that the
spelling & grammar check is complete, there is a pause (when the statistics
would normally pop up) & then a crash. (Quite annoying as all the
corrections
made during the spell check are lost.)

I only really use the stats for my own amusement, & having located the
source
of the bug I am now able to resume my manual spelling & grammar checks which
are much more important. However I'm just wondering if this is a "known bug"
or something wrong with my particular system? I have sent the crash report
to
Microsoft every single time since March or so...

cheers
Henry.