Word 2004 using excessive processor time (CPU)

[rbfraven]

500Mhz Powerbook 10.4.10

I first noticed MS Word 2004 using excessive processor time a few days
after I applied the latest iTunes and Quicktime update (7/14) and the
Microsoft update 11.3.6 (7/13). Prior to that I upgraded to 10.4.10
(6/21) from 10.4.9 but the problem occurred after the previously
mentioned updates. These are the only system changes I am aware of
before the problem occurred.

After those changes, the fan started coming on more frequently, and
Unix top and Activity Monitor showed that Word was always using 50%
even when NO files were open. When I quit Word, CPU usage decreases by
50%. When I start it, CPU usage increases by 50%. My temporary
circumvention is to quit Word immediately after using it. I used to
always run with Word as an active application.

Acting on a suggestion in this forum, I erased the Normal template,
but that had no effect.

I would appreciate any suggestion for what is causing the problem and
how to fix it.

Thanks.

 

[Elliott Roper]

500Mhz Powerbook 10.4.10

I first noticed MS Word 2004 using excessive processor time a few days
after I applied the latest iTunes and Quicktime update (7/14) and the
Microsoft update 11.3.6 (7/13). Prior to that I upgraded to 10.4.10
(6/21) from 10.4.9 but the problem occurred after the previously
mentioned updates. These are the only system changes I am aware of
before the problem occurred.

After those changes, the fan started coming on more frequently, and
Unix top and Activity Monitor showed that Word was always using 50%
even when NO files were open. When I quit Word, CPU usage decreases by
50%. When I start it, CPU usage increases by 50%. My temporary
circumvention is to quit Word immediately after using it. I used to
always run with Word as an active application.

Acting on a suggestion in this forum, I erased the Normal template,
but that had no effect.

I would appreciate any suggestion for what is causing the problem and
how to fix it.

There has been a rash of misbehaviour following Quicktime 7.2 on Intel
Macs.
See Apple Knowledge Base article 306043 "Some applications may not open
after Quicktime 7.2 Update"
Your symptoms are different, but so are some other people's.
The cause might be similar.

 

[rbfraven]

Thanks for the reference to QT 7.2. I searched the Apple forum for
that and found a post describing the same problem on the same model
machine. I posted my description also.