Word 2007 stops responding

[Lionel Modra]

I have had Office 2007 Ultimate RTM installed on Vista Ultimate RTM
since the end of November, and all has worked OK till yesterday. No new
programs had been installed for several days, and I had been using Word
consistently during that time, mainly (but not exclusively) to edit
documents I had scanned using Omnipage 15.

Word generated an error message regarding the Nuance (ScanSoft) PDF
converter AddIn, saying it had caused problems, and asking if I would
allow that addin to be disabled. I agreed to disable that as I rarely
use it, and not at all in my current project.

Word 2007 now stops responding as soon as I attempt to use any of the
applets - for instance "Find". I have read all the (apparently) related
posts in this newsgroup, and tried all the suggested fixes without
success, including installing different printer drivers. Even attempting
to close Word results in it not responding. I have allowed it to send
reports, but no solution is offered.

Prior to reading this newsgroup, I had run the office diagnostics -
which didn't report any problems. I then tried a repair, but the problem
remained. I then uninstalled and re-installed Office, again without
changing Word's bad behavior.

Even after I had deleted Normal.dotm (and all other files) from
Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates my (customised)
Quick Access Toolbar was showing all my customizations. I reset that,
but still no change. A full search of my system only returns instances
of Normal.dotm in the Templates folder (and a shortcut in the "Recent"
folder) apart from a copy on my external backup HDD. Disconnecting this
has no effect (I didn't expect it would).

Opening Word in safe mode allows me to use it, within the safe mode
limits, and to replace, save and print etc.

Using the " /a" switch also allows use of Word, with more functions
available than safe mode. I haven't had time to try out all functions in
this mode, but will continue to use it until the issue has been resolved.

 

[Terry Farrell]

Starting using the /a switch starts Word in its default install condition
bypassing everything - macros, templates, add-ins, normal, printer driver,
etc. So it proves that it is something outside Word that is causing the
problem. Please follow the tips in the following FAQ:

http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/ProbsOpeningWord.htm

 

[Lionel Modra]

Thank you, Terry.

Deleting the Data key from the registry has fixed my problem - I think I
had used all the other (what I considered applicable) tips on that web
page except that one, thinking that deleting Normal.dotm would have the
same effect.

Thanks

Lionel.

 

[Ako]

How do you delete the data key? I have threads started on 2/28 and 3/22
about problems with ScanSoft and the only thing that has worked for me in
disabled any kind of ScanSoft Addin for Word 2007. The downside is that it
also deactivates other applications that I would like to have running. So
you solution is likely bettter than mine.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

See http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/MissingMenusEtc.htm for the general
principles of Data key deletion; you'll need to look for a different version
number (12), of course.

 

[Ako]

Thanks for a quick and helpful response. I am presently torn between having
to reconfigure Word or holding on to what I have and hope it improves as
more patches are released that will address the problems that remain.