Using master/subdocuments in Word 2007

[vonbosau]

I edit a master document with subdocuments (created by someone else in this
format). It worked (more or less) in Word 2003. However, I cannot open it
in Word 2007 - clicked View>Outline, then Show Document, but when I click on
Expand Subdocuments, the whole thing crashes ("Word has stopped
working...Word is trying to recover your info.." then it all Goes Away).

First, am I missing something or is this hopeless (e.g., document is corrupt)?
Second, is it possible in either Word 2003 or Word 2007 to merge all the
subdocuments into a single document (thus avoiding this problem)?

This is a complex document (book with equations, figures, tables, a TOC,
index, etc.) and unfortunately the option of using desktop publishing is not
available to me - it must stay formatted in Word.

Any advice/assistance is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Laura von Bosau

 

[grammatim]

The most practical thing to do is simply to copy each of the (former
sub)documents into a new document, and abandon the idea of Master
Document. Insert a Section Break after each one.

From your description, it doesn't sound like a particularly complex
book.

 

[Cindy M.]

Hi Laura,

I edit a master document with subdocuments (created by someone else in this
format). It worked (more or less) in Word 2003. However, I cannot open it
in Word 2007 - clicked View>Outline, then Show Document, but when I click on
Expand Subdocuments, the whole thing crashes ("Word has stopped
working...Word is trying to recover your info.." then it all Goes Away).

This Adobe file will give you information about how to best work with the Master
Document facility

http://www.techwr-l.com/files/masterdocs.pdf

You'll notice one key point is that the Master should only be used as a "one-
off", for printing the combined result. You shouldn't do any editing in the
Master, nor should you edit sub-documents with the Master open.

First, am I missing something or is this hopeless (e.g., document is corrupt)?
Second, is it possible in either Word 2003 or Word 2007 to merge all the
subdocuments into a single document (thus avoiding this problem)?

The Master is probably corrupt; you can hope the sub-documents are still intact.

You should certainly be able to combine all the documents into a single document
via the Master Document facility. Create a new master, then use the "Remove Sub
-document" button to remove the links to the original sub-document files (the
text remains in the "Master").

Alternately, you can use the Insert/File command. The biggest difference is that
the Master Document feature will help retain separate page layout and
headers/footers of the individual documents.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 17 2005)
http://www.word.mvps.org

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