Wierd Word File Sizes

[Don]

Dear Experts, This is my first visit to New Thread. Since 1990 I've been writing a memoir, which is quite good but no one is pounding on my door to publish it so I am continually revising it. I started in DOS Word Perfect. Since about 1993 I've been in MS Word. Now I'm in Word 2003 Win XP. So, here is the mystery. All the chapters are seperate files and all are more or less the same size in the number of words and most are about 400 - 500 Kb. However, over the years two or three of the chapters have grown to an enormous file size: one of them is now 3.4 megabytes!!! When I copied this chapter into a new document page and then saved it, it became a 450 Kb file - which is about what most of the other chapter files amount to. So, I have two identical Word files, one old and one new, both of which seem to contain exactly the same data, yet one has a 3.4 meg file size and the other 450 kb!!! Who knows how this could be? Happen? What should I do about it? Nothing? I am pretty much a low end user so please answer in simple terms. I will greatly appreciate any relevent wisdom. Thanks to any and all.

 

[Susan W. Gallagher]

Don
One common reason for bloated file sizes in Word is allowing "fast saves". Fast saves store all of your changes at the end of the document file instead of "folding them in" inline, where they belong. If your bloated chapters have been edited extensively, allowing fast saves could increase the doc size tremendously, and the fact that copying the text into a new document reduced the size supports this. To turn off fast saves, select Tools > Options from the menu, click the Save tab, and clear the Allow Fast Saves checkbox

If this doesn't eliminate the bloated file problem, you might also want to check on Track Changes. This utility stores all of the changes you ever make to a document, so this could also increase the file size tremendously. To turn off Track Changes, select Tools > Track Changes > Highlight Changes from the menu and clear the Track Changes While Editing checkbox

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

There are a number of reasons for excessive file size, including:

1. Fast Saves: Disable this at on the Save tab of Tools | Options.

2. Preview Picture: Clear the check box on the Summary tab of File |
Properties.

3. Versions (File | Versions): Make sure "Automatically save version on
close" is not turned on.

4. Revisions (Tools | Track Changes):
Highlight Changes: Make sure "Highlight changes on screen" is turned on.
Accept/Reject Changes: If "Accept All" or "Reject All" is available then
revisions are present; accept or reject all changes, then turn Track Changes
off.

5. Embedded True Type fonts (Tools | Options | Save); embedding fonts should
be avoided wherever possible.

6. Embedded graphics: When feasible, it is preferable to link the graphics.

7. Document corruption: See
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/AppErrors/CorruptDoc.htm.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://www.mvps.org/word
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all may benefit.

Dear Experts, This is my first visit to New Thread. Since 1990 I've been

writing a memoir, which is quite good but no one is pounding on my door to
publish it so I am continually revising it. I started in DOS Word Perfect.
Since about 1993 I've been in MS Word. Now I'm in Word 2003 Win XP. So,
here is the mystery. All the chapters are seperate files and all are more
or less the same size in the number of words and most are about 400 - 500
Kb. However, over the years two or three of the chapters have grown to an
enormous file size: one of them is now 3.4 megabytes!!! When I copied this
chapter into a new document page and then saved it, it became a 450 Kb
file - which is about what most of the other chapter files amount to. So, I
have two identical Word files, one old and one new, both of which seem to
contain exactly the same data, yet one has a 3.4 meg file size and the other
450 kb!!! Who knows how this could be? Happen? What should I do about it?
Nothing? I am pretty much a low end user so please answer in simple terms.
I will greatly appreciate any relevent wisdom. Thanks to any and all.