Word 2002 - slow with large documents

[sid derra]

I am writing a thesis at the moment, which is a word file (Word 2002, winXP
home) with 116 pages at the moment. The file size is about 10.5mb, it
contains plenty of Excel objects and bookmarks. So far so good - now, here
comes my problem:

So far i worked on this file at my desktop (2.6ghz dual core, 2gb ram)
without major problems. Now I just had to go to Europe for a couple of
months and thus have to finish the paper on my notebook. It's a 1.4ghz
Celeron with 512mb ram on winXP home as well (same Word version).
I still have about 30 pages to go, but it's almost impossible to add new
text to that file, as the typed content will not appear on the screen until
several seconds after the text was typed. This is super annoying and I just
wondered if there was anyone out there who has any ideas on how to speed up
word on my current system again, while editing this file. I mean, the
notebook is not the newest on the block, but not AS outdated yet either. I
just wonder if there are any options that are known to slow down Word
considerably and can be turned off for the time i work on this file.
(Something like real time spell check maybe? I tried to turn this option off
already, without any noticeable effect.).

Thanks a whole bunch in advance!
sid

 

[Guest]

First question: is this just on that document or any Word document that you
get slow screen display response?

Slow screen response is usually caused by the graphics or printer drivers
being either partially corrupted or out of date. Check that you have the
latest printer driver, then delete and reinstall the printer. Also, the
printer should be a local printer, so even if you don't have the printer
connected (because you are mobile) install one as though it is a local
printer and set as the default. If that does resolve the problem, do similar
for the graphics driver.

If it still doesn't resolve the problem, what happens if you start Word in
Safe Mode. Click on the Word icon whilst holding down the Control Key to
open Word in Safe Mode. Is the screen response still slow?

 

[sid derra]

First question: is this just on that document or any Word document that
you get slow screen display response?

hi terry

after testing this some more, i get the following results:
- editing a blank/smaller file is no problem
- editing the same file, while the thesis file is open, leads to the same
annoying delays, like when the actual problem-file is being edited.
i've never noticed this behavior before, however, it's been forever since i
edited files of this size.

Slow screen response is usually caused by the graphics or printer drivers
being either partially corrupted or out of date. Check that you have the
latest printer driver, then delete and reinstall the printer. Also, the
printer should be a local printer, so even if you don't have the printer
connected (because you are mobile) install one as though it is a local
printer and set as the default. If that does resolve the problem, do
similar for the graphics driver.

just deinstalled the graphics driver and installed the latest one. no
change.
i have fineprint and acrobat as the only printers installed - the seem
alright.

If it still doesn't resolve the problem, what happens if you start Word in
Safe Mode. Click on the Word icon whilst holding down the Control Key to
open Word in Safe Mode. Is the screen response still slow?

unfortunately yes...
I noticed that, while usually it's idling at 20-30%, the cpu usage
immideately peaks up to 90-100% as soon as the big word file is the active
window.

can any of the following have an effect on this behavior?
- number of styles
- number of bookmarks
- number of fields
- number of graphics/objects
- macros? (i have one macro, that allows me to update all fields at once)
- multiple languages (2 pages are set to German, the rest is English)

thanks again - ill be happy about any more ideas!
sid

 

[Robert M. Franz (RMF)]

Hi Sid

sid derra wrote:
[..]

can any of the following have an effect on this behavior?
- number of styles
- number of bookmarks
- number of fields
- number of graphics/objects
- macros? (i have one macro, that allows me to update all fields at once)
- multiple languages (2 pages are set to German, the rest is English)

The number of styles in itself should not be a problem. The biggest
problem with styles is not quite state-of-the-art setup (outline)
numbered styles, but that usually results in undesired numbering
sequences and not in slow motion. [If the document or the underlying
template has a long history and you suspect that there might be
something wrong with its list templates, you can use a short line of
code simply to count them.]

The biggest issue you are facing are probably your excel obejcts. If you
really inserted them through Insert | Object, that is "expensive" in
terms of size and speed.

I would suspect that the prime factor you are so much slower now than at
home is -- RAM. 2 Gig is really nice, halve of one is not something I
would want to face with a large document. I have no idea about the
feasibility to add more RAM to your laptop, but it might be worth it.

Try working in Normal View, this can help a lot.

HTH
Robert

 

[ChrisM]

A bit of a bodge I suppose, but it might help.(Depends if you are writing
new pages or adding to/changing ones).

How about creating a new empty document to type new stuff into. Then
periodically, or even (ideally) when you get back to your kick a** computer
at home, copy and paste the newly written stuff into your big document.

Cheers,

Chris.

Hi Sid

sid derra wrote:
[..]

can any of the following have an effect on this behavior?
- number of styles
- number of bookmarks
- number of fields
- number of graphics/objects
- macros? (i have one macro, that allows me to update all fields at once)
- multiple languages (2 pages are set to German, the rest is English)

The number of styles in itself should not be a problem. The biggest
problem with styles is not quite state-of-the-art setup (outline) numbered
styles, but that usually results in undesired numbering sequences and not
in slow motion. [If the document or the underlying template has a long
history and you suspect that there might be something wrong with its list
templates, you can use a short line of code simply to count them.]

The biggest issue you are facing are probably your excel obejcts. If you
really inserted them through Insert | Object, that is "expensive" in terms
of size and speed.

I would suspect that the prime factor you are so much slower now than at
home is -- RAM. 2 Gig is really nice, halve of one is not something I
would want to face with a large document. I have no idea about the
feasibility to add more RAM to your laptop, but it might be worth it.

Try working in Normal View, this can help a lot.

HTH
Robert

 

[Guest]

Neither Acrobat nor FinePrint are printers. Please install a local printer
driver - even if you don't have a printer to connect to - and make it the
Default Windows Printer.

Terry

 

[sid derra]

[...]
The biggest issue you are facing are probably your excel obejcts. If you
really inserted them through Insert | Object, that is "expensive" in terms
of size and speed.

i am with you on that. they were pasted with paste special >> excel object.
so yea, they probably are what overwhelms my little friend here, along with
what you pointed out next.

I would suspect that the prime factor you are so much slower now than at
home is -- RAM. 2 Gig is really nice, halve of one is not something I
would want to face with a large document. I have no idea about the
feasibility to add more RAM to your laptop, but it might be worth it.

im not sure, but i think that the 512gb max out my mobo pretty much. i
should be done with the work by the end of the week, so i'll just work
around the whole annoyance.

Try working in Normal View, this can help a lot.

it in fact did sem to make it a little better - but just a bit.

HTH
Robert

thanks much!
sid

 

[sid derra]

A bit of a bodge I suppose, but it might help.(Depends if you are writing
new pages or adding to/changing ones).

How about creating a new empty document to type new stuff into. Then
periodically, or even (ideally) when you get back to your kick a**
computer at home, copy and paste the newly written stuff into your big
document.

hi chris

thanks a bunch for the suggestion. in fact, this is the route i started
going down. its pretty much a pain in the ass, in respect to the references,
etc. but still works a lot better than the other way.

rock on.
sid

 

[Pop`]

I am writing a thesis at the moment, which is a word file (Word 2002,
winXP home) with 116 pages at the moment. The file size is about
10.5mb, it contains plenty of Excel objects and bookmarks. So far so
good - now, here comes my problem:

So far i worked on this file at my desktop (2.6ghz dual core, 2gb ram)
without major problems. Now I just had to go to Europe for a couple of
months and thus have to finish the paper on my notebook. It's a 1.4ghz
Celeron with 512mb ram on winXP home as well (same Word version).
I still have about 30 pages to go, but it's almost impossible to add
new text to that file, as the typed content will not appear on the
screen until several seconds after the text was typed. This is super
annoying and I just wondered if there was anyone out there who has
any ideas on how to speed up word on my current system again, while
editing this file. I mean, the notebook is not the newest on the
block, but not AS outdated yet either. I just wonder if there are any
options that are known to slow down Word considerably and can be
turned off for the time i work on this file. (Something like real
time spell check maybe? I tried to turn this option off already,
without any noticeable effect.).
Thanks a whole bunch in advance!
sid

The best thing to do is try using, as much as you can:
-- View; Normal and
-- View Outline if you've used headers.

Also, temporarily break the large file up into smaller pieces. BE VERY SURE
TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT YOUR'E DOING SO YOU CAN REASSEMBLE THEM CORRECTLY!
Then you can have smaller files open to work on most of the time and only
need to reassemble if you need to check it in full context. I do mine by
chapter numbers and/or sections, with useful names.

If you can, since you only have 30 pages to go, write those pages in their
own, separate file and then later copy/paste t hem into the end of the major
document.
ALWAYS WORK WITH COPIES! When a copy looks good, then back it up,
preferably with a date in the title so you can tell where in the process the
backup came from. When you're all done, create TWO complete documents in
two different places, on different drives if possible, one a CD or DVD, for
storage until they're no longer needed.

Do NOT use Master Document mode should you come across it! It WILL cause
loss of data and corruption in a short period of time, but you wont' know it
right away.

HTH
Pop`

 

[sid derra]

Neither Acrobat nor FinePrint are printers. Please install a local printer
driver - even if you don't have a printer to connect to - and make it the
Default Windows Printer.

Terry

hi terry

i did add a local laser printer, but also, no change. i think it really is
the ram in combination with the document contents. sucks, but i guess there
isnt all that much i can do about it at the moment, but keep working on the
last pages in a deparate document.

rock on.

 

[sid derra]

I am writing a thesis at the moment, which is a word file (Word 2002,
winXP home) with 116 pages at the moment. The file size is about
10.5mb, it contains plenty of Excel objects and bookmarks. So far so
good - now, here comes my problem:
[...]
sid

If you can, since you only have 30 pages to go, write those pages in their
own, separate file and then later copy/paste t hem into the end of the
major document.

thanks - thats exactly what i decided to do now...

ALWAYS WORK WITH COPIES! When a copy looks good, then back it up,
preferably with a date in the title so you can tell where in the process
the backup came from. When you're all done, create TWO complete documents
in two different places, on different drives if possible, one a CD or DVD,
for storage until they're no longer needed.

i usually either work with versioning tools or - as in this case - just with
incremental version numbers for the files as they develop (right now i am at
v1.26). it's not just handy for programming projects - which i do for a
living - but also for stuff like this. and i agree with you - this can't be
pointed out often enough. also being into photography and graphics, i can't
tell you, how many times i tried to correct friend's and family's workflows,
who occasionally save web or email resolution photos over the originals...
usually without even understanding why this might not be a great idea.
also, i do make regular backups - currently one on the local machine, one on
a usb hdd and one on a remote server. despite the word file i have approx.
5gb in pdf source-analysis-data to kee safe and sound - so that better be
enough... ;-)

Do NOT use Master Document mode should you come across it! It WILL cause
loss of data and corruption in a short period of time, but you wont' know
it right away.

thanks for that hint! haven't come across that yet and made a note to self,
just in case...
rock on. sid

 

[sid derra]

[...]
The biggest issue you are facing are probably your excel obejcts. If you
really inserted them through Insert | Object, that is "expensive" in
terms of size and speed.

i am with you on that. they were pasted with paste special >> excel
object. so yea, they probably are what overwhelms my little friend here,
along with what you pointed out next.

I would suspect that the prime factor you are so much slower now than at
home is -- RAM. 2 Gig is really nice, halve of one is not something I
would want to face with a large document. I have no idea about the
feasibility to add more RAM to your laptop, but it might be worth it.

im not sure, but i think that the 512gb max out my mobo pretty much. i
should be done with the work by the end of the week, so i'll just work
around the whole annoyance.

Try working in Normal View, this can help a lot.

it in fact did sem to make it a little better - but just a bit.

HTH
Robert

thanks much!
sid

so, after all, it doesnt seem to be the notwbook specs. i tried editing this
sucker with my dad's notebook, which is very similar in ints
specifications - a little weaker even - and: no problems whatsoever...

gotta love computers...
sid